musesandlyrics | 5.4. Will Rogers quote
5.4 "Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment."
Will Rogers
Co-written with scotcopper & thinbluegee
Follows THIS
Gee wanted to drive, and Stuart didn't even try to protest this time. Usually they had to end up tossing a coin or playing Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who got to take the driver's seat when they had to head out. Stuart just followed in silence and sat looking out the window at the city passing by as they headed into Central London. It felt like his stomach clenched into a tighter and tighter ball with every block they passed and now they were actually stepping out of the elevator on the floor of Tom's trendy and expensive law firm, he was wondering if he could manage to speak without throwing up or pissing his pants. There was still a burning determination in his gut to solve this case and at this point, it seemed to be the only thing fueling the adrenaline rush to get through this.
They stepped up to the reception desk and politely requested to speak to Tom ASAP. There did seem to be a flicker of recognition in her eyes as to who Stuart was, or who he might be, at least, and she smiled, promising to go get him straight away. When she left, Stuart looked up at the ceiling, exhaling sharply to brace himself. He had only been here once before when he dropped that note off for Tom a few weeks ago. He never, ever could have anticipated he would need to be here in a professional capacity and his badge felt like it was suddenly stabbing him in the chest through the breast pocket of his long coat.
Gee reached out to rush her fingers against Stuart's wrist, and gave him a reassuring smile. She'd tried to act as least cop-like as she could, not wanting to draw any attention to them. She was here as Stuart's friend, and Stuart was Tom's boyfriend. That's all it was. She honestly hoped there hadn't been any leaks about what that woman had said, or that she hadn't gone to the papers herself. She wouldn't put it past the silly cow. She was so vocal, and taking Tom down several pegs appeared to be a life goal. Made her wonder if in all her fag hag glory she hadn't fallen for Tom herself. Or the dead paralegal, and was just jealous.
The receptionist gave them a nod, but Gee had to tug on Stuart to get him to move when he seemed to just continue to stand there in his own world. She let out a heavy sigh, and tried not to consider the fact that she was finally meeting his suit under the worst of circumstances. This was going to be beyond heart breaking.
It wasn't far from Stuart's mind either that this was the first time Tom and Gee would meet. This sucked, it wasn't supposed to be like this. It was almost impossible to keep calm and remain even on the outside when everything was upside down inside. It was probably a fortunate thing they hadn't been the team to question that woman, or Stuart would no doubt have gotten himself - and Tom - into a lot of trouble. By the time they got to the door of Tom's office, the lawyer had met them at the door so they didn't need to knock. Hell, would they have even been supposed to knock? It was the little details that Stuart was struggling the most with. He tried to keep his voice even when he spoke and managed a faint hint of a smile before it was gone again. "Hey, have you got a few minutes?" he got out and his voice was strained to the point that even his accent seemed to be slightly lost.
Tom had been smiling at them both, but it was gone the moment he heard Stuart's voice, and realised the copper hadn't made any move to greet him affectionately. The hairs on the back of Tom's neck prickled, and all he did was nod as he stepped aside to usher them in. Maybe Stuart wasn't as into public displays of affection with his partner present. At least he assumed it was his partner. "Well, this is a surprise. You should have called, I could have had some lunch organised. I haven't eaten all day, and I'm bloody starving. If only there was time for another trip to The Ivy," he said with a slight smirk as he looked Stuart. Then he held his hand out to Gee, and the smirk became a smile. "The partner, I assume? I'm Thomas Hunt. Call me Tom."
Gee smiled back awkwardly, but shook his hand. He had no idea. He really didn't, and she felt sorry for him. He was about to blindsided, and she felt this gnawing guilt start up in her stomach. She tried to imagine what it would be like in Stuart's shoes, or even Tom's, and just couldn't. "Yes, the partner. Gabrielle Mancini, but you can call me, um... Detective Mancini." She frowned before looking at him apologetically. There wasn't really anything casual about what they were doing. She shot Stuart a look, and then pulled her hand out of Tom's grip.
"Detective? No need to be so formal is there?" Tom asked, a little taken aback before his gaze flicked between them both, and there was a trickle of something cold down his back that made him shiver. "I feel as if I'm missing some vital part of information. Stu--Detective Evans, care to enlighten me?"
Stuart was glad he still had his gloves on so they were concealing his hands that were trembling just from a mix of fear and anxiety over what all this could be about to mean. Tom had been such an amazing surprise that he literally stumbled across, and he had fallen hard. They didn't even have the chance to move any of his stuff to Tom's place yet, and now this. This was harder than he had even anticipated now he was here and Tom was facing him just a couple of feet away. If he was a coward, he would step back by this point and let Gee do the dirty work. But he was no coward, and he knew he had to do this. He owed it to Tom to do it. "This isnae a social visit," he finally admitted, finding his voice even if it still had that choked scratchy edge to it like he had another sore throat. His throat wasn't sore, but everything else felt like it was. "W-We're investigating the murder of Keith Lefevre. He was found dead in a park in Kensington yesterday..." There was another hitch in his voice and professional persona slipped. "I-I'm so sorry," he added in a hoarse whisper.
Gee was watching both of them until Stuart started to talk, and then her gaze fixed on Tom, watching his reaction.
Tom didn't disappoint. He felt his jaw go slack, and the floor drop out from under him. The unshakeable lawyer, was shaken, and he stood there dumbfounded as he stared at both of them. Surely there was another Keith Lefevre? It had to be a common name. Or at least Keith was. Memories of times they'd shared in this very office came unbidden and Tom could start to feel his stomach churn. "Are you sure?" he asked in a whisper. "But... murder? Who would want to murder him?" He looked at Stuart, blue eyes searching the face of his lover before he let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Me? You think I would..." He moved backwards, and leaned heavily against his desk. "I see."
Something inside Stuart just snapped and he didn't give a flying fuck about the job or what he was supposed to be doing. How the fuck was he supposed to react anyway? This was the man he just realised he loved, and wanted to be with for a very long time? Was he supposed to just pretend he wasn't hurting? Fuck that. Fuck that for a stupid bloody joke. He breached the gap between them and his arms closed Tom in a tight embrace. His fingers threaded through the back of Tom's hair and at first he didn't really know what to say. "You have to listen to me, okay?" he said in a hushed voice, but tried to keep his words even so Tom could absorb them. "Your name has come up. Some woman is accusing you of doing it. He's known to be your ex employee and ex sexual parter. I'm going to do everything I fucking can to make sure your name is cleared and I'm not going to let anyone fucking hurt you. But you need to look like you're cooperating with us. You need to come in so we can ask you some questions. You need to let it run through the process because if someone is trying to hurt you, they could take you down quicker than I have the capacity to stop it."
Tom glanced at Gee over Stuart's shoulder, but she had apparently turned around to give them some privacy. And Tom was grateful, because he could feel tears prick the backs of his eyes, and he held tightly onto Stuart as he took a deep breath. This was fucked up, but he couldn't even get his head together to try and comprehend the fact that Keith was dead, let alone that he was about to be questioned about it. "What woman?" he asked quietly. "What the fuck would she even know?" His anger was starting to build up, and he clenched his jaw tightly. If some bitch was accusing him of this, he was going to show her what Thomas Hunt was actually capable of, and it had nothing to do with murder. "I didn't do it," he also added after a beat, just in case Stuart really had had any doubts, but everything he was saying told Tom otherwise. He still couldn't shake the horrible feeling in his gut, though.
Gee moved over to the window to look out at the view, but she could see the two men in the reflection bouncing off the glass, and she sighed. It was awful, like some sick fucking joke designed to mess up a chance for either of them to be happy. She briefly thought about Euan back at her place, and the promise of making her come, but how was she supposed to be in the mood after this? They were going to asking Tom about murder, and anything could happen after this. She just hoped they could actually clear his name. She cleared her throat as she turned back around. "We should get this over as quick as possible. Neither of you need it drawn out. If you just stick to the truth, hopefully it'll clear itself up. I'm sorry I had to meet you this way, Mr Hunt."
They couldn't give Tom any details, and that cut deep in Stuart's gut. He knew if he was feeling as sick as he was right now, Tom would be feeling it even worse. He spotted an unopened bottle of water on Tom's desk, and reached to grab it, snapping the lid off and pressing it into Tom's hands. "Just sip it slowly, okay. We can have a minute, it's alright." He stayed close, standing in front of Tom and giving him a gentle nudge so he would take his weight off by sitting on the side of his desk. He stayed standing between Tom's legs, his hand on his shoulder and his thumb brushing back and forth in some pointless attempt to comfort him. They were behind closed doors, it didn't matter. Stuart had already noted the interior of Tom's office didn't have CCTV cameras, even if the reception office did. Client confidentiality and all that. "I know you didnae do it. I was with you that night. But I was also exhausted. I wouldnae stick as an alibi."
Gee moved closer to the two of them even if she was still trying to give them some semblance of privacy. God only knew how the interrogation was going to go. Tom and her shared a glance, but the lawyer's attention was instantly back on Stuart as he took a sip of the water as directed. Maybe Stuart couldn't see it, but Gee had little doubt Tom wasn't going to give him the flick because of this. He really did love her partner.
"What are you saying?" Tom asked him, gazing intently back at Stuart as his mind started to wake up again, and his brain kicked into gear. "I can't lie. It's... If I say I was alone, you know as well as I do that kind of alibi is worth shit. It's even harder to believe than being in bed with someone who was dead asleep. Not that I'm going to dump you into any of this."
Stuart shook his head. "I'm nay asking you to lie. I'm asking you to be honest. It's going to have to be asked where you were. Being in the presence of someone is better than being with no one at all. I dinnae know how it's going to go down, but just be honest. None of it is going to be easy." He didn't profess to know how to handle any of this, he was doing the best he could and he realised he was probably not handling it as well as he should. He was terrified and he was feeling horrible about dumping Tom in all of this. "I-It's... you might want to call your lawyer... if you have one."
Tom arched an eyebrow slightly, and heard Gee give a slight huff of quiet laughter. Apparently he wasn't the only one amused by being told to call a lawyer. "I don't trust anyone more than me to represent my interests. However, I might call Ethan to see if he knows of someone. Or at least to arrange to get drunk afterwards."
Gee placed her hand on Stuart's shoulder and gave it a squeeze as Tom turned to pick up the phone. "You still sure you're up for this?" she whispered once she was sure Tom was caught up in a conversation on the phone.
Stuart couldn't be in on the joke. He actually didn't find it funny that he had to tell a lawyer he needed one, let alone tell the person he loved he needed one. It was as much as saying 'Hey, mate, we're gonna arrest you, so brace yourself'. They didn't have enough for an arrest yet, but once forensic checks came back, who knew what these bastards trying to take Tom down might have? He didn't want Tom blindsided, he wanted him to be as prepared as he possibly could be. He rubbed a hand over his mouth and threw Gee a brief look over his shoulder. "I have to be."
Gee gave his shoulder another squeeze, and then dropped her hand away. Truth be told, most times if she didn't try and find some amusement in the situations they faced, she was just doomed to cry herself to sleep every night. There was very little that should have given them hope in humankind. It's why it was so easy to cling to the good things in life. "Then I'm right here with you."
Tom hung up the phone after a couple of moments, ignoring Ethan's repeated questions while trying to calmly state his need for a good lawyer. "He's making a call, the lawyer will meet us at the station. I don't really feel like waiting it out here." Tom reached out to touch Stuart, but hesitated. "Shall I follow in my car?"
Stuart felt like someone punched him in the chest and took his breath away with Tom's question. It was innocent enough, but it was going to show him just how serious this all was. Stuart gave the slightest shake of his head, his forehead creasing in concern. "No, we need you to come with us," he said quietly.
Tom frowned, but gave a nod. For someone who wasn't actually being arrested, he wasn't exactly feeling like an innocent man right then. He set down the water, and walked around the back of his desk to pick up his jacket and phone. The phone was dropped into the pocket of the inside of jacket, and he adjusted his collar. He then buzzed the receptionist to make sure she cancelled the rest of his appointments, and sent his apologies to his clients. Something had come up. Tom waved a hand at a door to the side of his bookcase. "An alternative route, if you don't mind. As much as I plan on being cooperative, I don't particularly fancy walking out past Helen. She can be a bit of a gossip even if it might seem innocent."
Gee shrugged. "Fine with me. Even if I'm disappointed you don't have a secret door that leads to the bat cave." She gave Tom another small smile, and got one in return before his features were set into an unreadable mask. He really was good, she'd give him that. Her gaze slid back to Stuart, trying to work out if her partner was genuinely ready for this.
Words: 2895
Will Rogers
Co-written with scotcopper & thinbluegee
Follows THIS
Gee wanted to drive, and Stuart didn't even try to protest this time. Usually they had to end up tossing a coin or playing Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who got to take the driver's seat when they had to head out. Stuart just followed in silence and sat looking out the window at the city passing by as they headed into Central London. It felt like his stomach clenched into a tighter and tighter ball with every block they passed and now they were actually stepping out of the elevator on the floor of Tom's trendy and expensive law firm, he was wondering if he could manage to speak without throwing up or pissing his pants. There was still a burning determination in his gut to solve this case and at this point, it seemed to be the only thing fueling the adrenaline rush to get through this.
They stepped up to the reception desk and politely requested to speak to Tom ASAP. There did seem to be a flicker of recognition in her eyes as to who Stuart was, or who he might be, at least, and she smiled, promising to go get him straight away. When she left, Stuart looked up at the ceiling, exhaling sharply to brace himself. He had only been here once before when he dropped that note off for Tom a few weeks ago. He never, ever could have anticipated he would need to be here in a professional capacity and his badge felt like it was suddenly stabbing him in the chest through the breast pocket of his long coat.
Gee reached out to rush her fingers against Stuart's wrist, and gave him a reassuring smile. She'd tried to act as least cop-like as she could, not wanting to draw any attention to them. She was here as Stuart's friend, and Stuart was Tom's boyfriend. That's all it was. She honestly hoped there hadn't been any leaks about what that woman had said, or that she hadn't gone to the papers herself. She wouldn't put it past the silly cow. She was so vocal, and taking Tom down several pegs appeared to be a life goal. Made her wonder if in all her fag hag glory she hadn't fallen for Tom herself. Or the dead paralegal, and was just jealous.
The receptionist gave them a nod, but Gee had to tug on Stuart to get him to move when he seemed to just continue to stand there in his own world. She let out a heavy sigh, and tried not to consider the fact that she was finally meeting his suit under the worst of circumstances. This was going to be beyond heart breaking.
It wasn't far from Stuart's mind either that this was the first time Tom and Gee would meet. This sucked, it wasn't supposed to be like this. It was almost impossible to keep calm and remain even on the outside when everything was upside down inside. It was probably a fortunate thing they hadn't been the team to question that woman, or Stuart would no doubt have gotten himself - and Tom - into a lot of trouble. By the time they got to the door of Tom's office, the lawyer had met them at the door so they didn't need to knock. Hell, would they have even been supposed to knock? It was the little details that Stuart was struggling the most with. He tried to keep his voice even when he spoke and managed a faint hint of a smile before it was gone again. "Hey, have you got a few minutes?" he got out and his voice was strained to the point that even his accent seemed to be slightly lost.
Tom had been smiling at them both, but it was gone the moment he heard Stuart's voice, and realised the copper hadn't made any move to greet him affectionately. The hairs on the back of Tom's neck prickled, and all he did was nod as he stepped aside to usher them in. Maybe Stuart wasn't as into public displays of affection with his partner present. At least he assumed it was his partner. "Well, this is a surprise. You should have called, I could have had some lunch organised. I haven't eaten all day, and I'm bloody starving. If only there was time for another trip to The Ivy," he said with a slight smirk as he looked Stuart. Then he held his hand out to Gee, and the smirk became a smile. "The partner, I assume? I'm Thomas Hunt. Call me Tom."
Gee smiled back awkwardly, but shook his hand. He had no idea. He really didn't, and she felt sorry for him. He was about to blindsided, and she felt this gnawing guilt start up in her stomach. She tried to imagine what it would be like in Stuart's shoes, or even Tom's, and just couldn't. "Yes, the partner. Gabrielle Mancini, but you can call me, um... Detective Mancini." She frowned before looking at him apologetically. There wasn't really anything casual about what they were doing. She shot Stuart a look, and then pulled her hand out of Tom's grip.
"Detective? No need to be so formal is there?" Tom asked, a little taken aback before his gaze flicked between them both, and there was a trickle of something cold down his back that made him shiver. "I feel as if I'm missing some vital part of information. Stu--Detective Evans, care to enlighten me?"
Stuart was glad he still had his gloves on so they were concealing his hands that were trembling just from a mix of fear and anxiety over what all this could be about to mean. Tom had been such an amazing surprise that he literally stumbled across, and he had fallen hard. They didn't even have the chance to move any of his stuff to Tom's place yet, and now this. This was harder than he had even anticipated now he was here and Tom was facing him just a couple of feet away. If he was a coward, he would step back by this point and let Gee do the dirty work. But he was no coward, and he knew he had to do this. He owed it to Tom to do it. "This isnae a social visit," he finally admitted, finding his voice even if it still had that choked scratchy edge to it like he had another sore throat. His throat wasn't sore, but everything else felt like it was. "W-We're investigating the murder of Keith Lefevre. He was found dead in a park in Kensington yesterday..." There was another hitch in his voice and professional persona slipped. "I-I'm so sorry," he added in a hoarse whisper.
Gee was watching both of them until Stuart started to talk, and then her gaze fixed on Tom, watching his reaction.
Tom didn't disappoint. He felt his jaw go slack, and the floor drop out from under him. The unshakeable lawyer, was shaken, and he stood there dumbfounded as he stared at both of them. Surely there was another Keith Lefevre? It had to be a common name. Or at least Keith was. Memories of times they'd shared in this very office came unbidden and Tom could start to feel his stomach churn. "Are you sure?" he asked in a whisper. "But... murder? Who would want to murder him?" He looked at Stuart, blue eyes searching the face of his lover before he let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Me? You think I would..." He moved backwards, and leaned heavily against his desk. "I see."
Something inside Stuart just snapped and he didn't give a flying fuck about the job or what he was supposed to be doing. How the fuck was he supposed to react anyway? This was the man he just realised he loved, and wanted to be with for a very long time? Was he supposed to just pretend he wasn't hurting? Fuck that. Fuck that for a stupid bloody joke. He breached the gap between them and his arms closed Tom in a tight embrace. His fingers threaded through the back of Tom's hair and at first he didn't really know what to say. "You have to listen to me, okay?" he said in a hushed voice, but tried to keep his words even so Tom could absorb them. "Your name has come up. Some woman is accusing you of doing it. He's known to be your ex employee and ex sexual parter. I'm going to do everything I fucking can to make sure your name is cleared and I'm not going to let anyone fucking hurt you. But you need to look like you're cooperating with us. You need to come in so we can ask you some questions. You need to let it run through the process because if someone is trying to hurt you, they could take you down quicker than I have the capacity to stop it."
Tom glanced at Gee over Stuart's shoulder, but she had apparently turned around to give them some privacy. And Tom was grateful, because he could feel tears prick the backs of his eyes, and he held tightly onto Stuart as he took a deep breath. This was fucked up, but he couldn't even get his head together to try and comprehend the fact that Keith was dead, let alone that he was about to be questioned about it. "What woman?" he asked quietly. "What the fuck would she even know?" His anger was starting to build up, and he clenched his jaw tightly. If some bitch was accusing him of this, he was going to show her what Thomas Hunt was actually capable of, and it had nothing to do with murder. "I didn't do it," he also added after a beat, just in case Stuart really had had any doubts, but everything he was saying told Tom otherwise. He still couldn't shake the horrible feeling in his gut, though.
Gee moved over to the window to look out at the view, but she could see the two men in the reflection bouncing off the glass, and she sighed. It was awful, like some sick fucking joke designed to mess up a chance for either of them to be happy. She briefly thought about Euan back at her place, and the promise of making her come, but how was she supposed to be in the mood after this? They were going to asking Tom about murder, and anything could happen after this. She just hoped they could actually clear his name. She cleared her throat as she turned back around. "We should get this over as quick as possible. Neither of you need it drawn out. If you just stick to the truth, hopefully it'll clear itself up. I'm sorry I had to meet you this way, Mr Hunt."
They couldn't give Tom any details, and that cut deep in Stuart's gut. He knew if he was feeling as sick as he was right now, Tom would be feeling it even worse. He spotted an unopened bottle of water on Tom's desk, and reached to grab it, snapping the lid off and pressing it into Tom's hands. "Just sip it slowly, okay. We can have a minute, it's alright." He stayed close, standing in front of Tom and giving him a gentle nudge so he would take his weight off by sitting on the side of his desk. He stayed standing between Tom's legs, his hand on his shoulder and his thumb brushing back and forth in some pointless attempt to comfort him. They were behind closed doors, it didn't matter. Stuart had already noted the interior of Tom's office didn't have CCTV cameras, even if the reception office did. Client confidentiality and all that. "I know you didnae do it. I was with you that night. But I was also exhausted. I wouldnae stick as an alibi."
Gee moved closer to the two of them even if she was still trying to give them some semblance of privacy. God only knew how the interrogation was going to go. Tom and her shared a glance, but the lawyer's attention was instantly back on Stuart as he took a sip of the water as directed. Maybe Stuart couldn't see it, but Gee had little doubt Tom wasn't going to give him the flick because of this. He really did love her partner.
"What are you saying?" Tom asked him, gazing intently back at Stuart as his mind started to wake up again, and his brain kicked into gear. "I can't lie. It's... If I say I was alone, you know as well as I do that kind of alibi is worth shit. It's even harder to believe than being in bed with someone who was dead asleep. Not that I'm going to dump you into any of this."
Stuart shook his head. "I'm nay asking you to lie. I'm asking you to be honest. It's going to have to be asked where you were. Being in the presence of someone is better than being with no one at all. I dinnae know how it's going to go down, but just be honest. None of it is going to be easy." He didn't profess to know how to handle any of this, he was doing the best he could and he realised he was probably not handling it as well as he should. He was terrified and he was feeling horrible about dumping Tom in all of this. "I-It's... you might want to call your lawyer... if you have one."
Tom arched an eyebrow slightly, and heard Gee give a slight huff of quiet laughter. Apparently he wasn't the only one amused by being told to call a lawyer. "I don't trust anyone more than me to represent my interests. However, I might call Ethan to see if he knows of someone. Or at least to arrange to get drunk afterwards."
Gee placed her hand on Stuart's shoulder and gave it a squeeze as Tom turned to pick up the phone. "You still sure you're up for this?" she whispered once she was sure Tom was caught up in a conversation on the phone.
Stuart couldn't be in on the joke. He actually didn't find it funny that he had to tell a lawyer he needed one, let alone tell the person he loved he needed one. It was as much as saying 'Hey, mate, we're gonna arrest you, so brace yourself'. They didn't have enough for an arrest yet, but once forensic checks came back, who knew what these bastards trying to take Tom down might have? He didn't want Tom blindsided, he wanted him to be as prepared as he possibly could be. He rubbed a hand over his mouth and threw Gee a brief look over his shoulder. "I have to be."
Gee gave his shoulder another squeeze, and then dropped her hand away. Truth be told, most times if she didn't try and find some amusement in the situations they faced, she was just doomed to cry herself to sleep every night. There was very little that should have given them hope in humankind. It's why it was so easy to cling to the good things in life. "Then I'm right here with you."
Tom hung up the phone after a couple of moments, ignoring Ethan's repeated questions while trying to calmly state his need for a good lawyer. "He's making a call, the lawyer will meet us at the station. I don't really feel like waiting it out here." Tom reached out to touch Stuart, but hesitated. "Shall I follow in my car?"
Stuart felt like someone punched him in the chest and took his breath away with Tom's question. It was innocent enough, but it was going to show him just how serious this all was. Stuart gave the slightest shake of his head, his forehead creasing in concern. "No, we need you to come with us," he said quietly.
Tom frowned, but gave a nod. For someone who wasn't actually being arrested, he wasn't exactly feeling like an innocent man right then. He set down the water, and walked around the back of his desk to pick up his jacket and phone. The phone was dropped into the pocket of the inside of jacket, and he adjusted his collar. He then buzzed the receptionist to make sure she cancelled the rest of his appointments, and sent his apologies to his clients. Something had come up. Tom waved a hand at a door to the side of his bookcase. "An alternative route, if you don't mind. As much as I plan on being cooperative, I don't particularly fancy walking out past Helen. She can be a bit of a gossip even if it might seem innocent."
Gee shrugged. "Fine with me. Even if I'm disappointed you don't have a secret door that leads to the bat cave." She gave Tom another small smile, and got one in return before his features were set into an unreadable mask. He really was good, she'd give him that. Her gaze slid back to Stuart, trying to work out if her partner was genuinely ready for this.
Words: 2895