Professional (1/2)
Title: Professional
Author: WibbleyWobbley
Rating: R/NC-17
Pairing/Characters: Kevin/Scotty
Word Count: ~5,230
Spoilers: Nope.
Disclaimer: Sadly, not mine.
Summary: Sequel to One-Night Stand
"Mr. Wandell? I am so sorry to have kept you waiting. Mr. Wright is in court - a case of his has unexpectedly gone to appeal, so Mr. Walker will be handling the Mangopian case from now on."
Scotty, in a daze, nodded. He had been waiting on his appointment for twenty-odd minutes now, growing more and more nervous (and annoyed). Now they were switching lawyers on him. He was already starting to wonder if he’d ever be able to get another job - getting your previous employer accused of fraud doesn’t look particularly good on a résumé. If this meeting took much longer, he might miss the catering event tonight. Then he’d get fired, and he’d be in even more trouble.
Nonetheless, he took a deep breath and stood to follow the receptionist down the hall to "Mr. Walker’s" office. And, as he was announced and the lawyer rose to greet him, he promptly forgot everything he had been planning to say about his testimony.
He was hot. And vaguely familiar in that déjà vu kind of way. If he didn’t know better, Scotty would’ve sworn he had seen or met the guy before. But something told him "Mr. Walker" wasn’t the type to grab a beer at Cinnamon Jack’s after a long day in court.
"Mr. Wandell, hello," he said, reaching out to shake Scotty’s hand. "I’m Kevin Walker."
Scotty’s eyes opened ever-so-slightly wider. It couldn’t be...
Could it?
***
The meeting was going...not well. Between his nerves about the case, and his attempts to figure out if this Kevin was his Kevin, and if it was, his somewhat inexplicable desire to prevent Kevin from recognizing him, and his even more inexplicable annoyance at the fact that Kevin didn’t seem to (was Scotty really that forgettable?) - well, Scotty was laying it on a bit thick. He realized that, but he couldn’t stop. And then Kevin looked up at him with that smirk and Scotty knew.
"Oh. My. God. Oh my God, you’re gay," he said. But what he meant was, it is you.
***
Kevin looked adorably flustered as he sat down across from Scotty. Scotty merely smiled slyly at him.
"Should I bring anything to the party?" he asked.
Kevin exhaled. "Look - "
"You don’t want me there?"
"It’s just - it’s wildly unprofessional. The witness at the pool party?"
Scotty paused. Now was his chance. Late last night, or rather - really early this morning, as he slowly, vividly, almost torturously reminded himself of every single detail of their first encounter, he had decided to remind Kevin of their past. If he remembered on his own, it would possibly be even more uncomfortably awkward. Besides, he wanted to see that blush again.
"I understand. It’s OK; I’ve already been there anyway."
Kevin looked up at him in confusion. Scotty held eye contact as he leaned forward across the desk.
"Five or so years ago. Your graduation party. I was part of the catering crew..."
Kevin continued to stare at him, eyes wide; a second later, he accidentally snapped the pencil he was holding in half, resulting in a quick jump from the shock.
"Oh my God. Scotty," he said in a breathless, strangled voice.
Scotty sat back in his seat with a smile, trying not to let on that his stomach was doing somersaults.
"Scotty," Kevin repeated as he stood up behind his desk. "How - how are you?"
Scotty wanted to laugh; it was almost too easy to unnerve Kevin these days. He could hardly believe this was the same man who, back when he was younger (and gayer), seduced Scotty into bed merely by looking at him. The fact that Scotty now had greater control over himself - at least outwardly - than Kevin gave him a feeling of power that he hadn’t felt since this whole insurance thing started.
Scotty stood, walking around the desk to be closer to Kevin, dragging his fingers over the surface.
"I’m good," he said quietly. He watched Kevin swallow thickly as he stopped mere inches away from the other man. "A little wounded that you didn’t remember me - "
Kevin opened his mouth to protest, but Scotty talked over him. "What do you say we go out for dinner and I...jog your memory?"
The feeling of power began to diminish as the conversation grew increasingly out of Scotty’s control. He had intended to simply remind Kevin of their history, tease him a bit, before turning back to the topic of the case. He wasn’t actually going to hit on him. Maybe it was because he wondered last night - as he desperately tried to get enough oxygen to his blood-deprived brain, as he tried to hold on just a little longer - if that long ago evening with Kevin had been as amazing as he remembered. Maybe it was because Kevin’s nervousness and embarrassment reminded Scotty of the vulnerability Kevin had eventually shown that night. Maybe it was because a part of Scotty had always regretted not pursuing the connection they had made.
Because the thing was, Scotty was not really the type of guy who had one-night stands. Certainly some dates had turned out to be mistakes and other relationships were...very short-lived, but he had always gone into them with the intention of actually dating the guy or at least seeing if something was there. Kevin was the only man who had ever affected him so much so quickly. But he had been afraid; he had questioned what a guy like Kevin, with so much going for him, would ever want with a guy like Scotty. Of course, since then, Scotty had realized that he was, not to think too highly of himself, quite a catch. That his job or how much money he made or whether he had gone to college did not determine his worth. Maybe now, he was in the right place to try for a relationship with Kevin.
It seemed Kevin was going to need a little more convincing, though. "I - I really can’t," Kevin stammered. "It’s not that I...I do want to...the case...you’re a witness, I - "
In some ways, Scotty was relieved. On one hand, things had been progressing alarmingly fast just now, and he definitely needed to slow it down, to stop and think. What did he really know about Kevin, after all? Was he prepared to start something, considering their history? Not to mention, this case was already complicating his life. At the same time, he was disappointed, to put it mildly. That night - the whole night, not just the sex - remained near, if not at, the top of the list of memorable moments in his adult life. Here was a chance to go back, to possibly correct a mistake. He wasn’t ready to just walk away again. And he certainly wasn’t going to let this stupid case ruin everything.
"Fair enough," he finally said. "The case isn’t going to last forever."
Kevin inhaled shakily. "No," he agreed with a smile. "And I did wait until you were done with your shift; I should get the same courtesy."
Scotty grinned. He took one step closer to Kevin. "True," he said, dropping his voice low. "But you certainly didn’t make my job any easier, either."
***
And so, they fell into something of a routine. When Scotty had appointments with Kevin, he’d wear his most flattering outfits and stare intently at him through the entire meeting. He would inwardly smirk as Kevin became increasingly flustered. One evening, shortly after his third appointment, Kevin called him to clarify a (rather obvious, Scotty thought) point, and they ended up talking for an hour. That turned into almost daily phone calls about every topic under the sun. Right now, Scotty was curled up on his couch, eating ice cream, with the phone wedged between his shoulder and his ear. He was laughing quietly as Kevin described his day of horror, golfing with some pseudo-friends of his parents.
"And after all that, my mom refused to go to the memorial. We skipped out and went to Two for the Road."
"Oh, I love that movie!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! I forgot it was showing." Scotty saw his chance for a little innuendo. "Oh well, I wouldn’t have wanted to go alone."
"Wouldn’t want to look like a friendless loser?" Kevin asked, laughing.
Scotty took a bite of ice cream, smiling around the spoon as he pulled it out from between his lips. "Mmm, no, it’s not that. It’s just more fun to go to movies with someone. Making out in the back row, seeing just how much you can get away with in the dark, trying to stay quiet while...well, it’s too bad you already went."
The silence on the other end was deafening, and Scotty smiled again. Finally, Kevin cleared his throat. "Well, I’m sure in a few weeks there will be a classic film playing somewhere."
"Can’t wait," Scotty murmured.
***
"Tell me a secret," Kevin said quietly.
Scotty repositioned himself on his bed. He had finished his ice cream hours ago. Now, he was lying on his back, still talking to Kevin, and trying not to reveal just how strongly Kevin’s voice in his ear was affecting him.
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything."
Scotty thought for a second, then decided to reveal something that had been lurking in his memory for the last few days. "After we...I drove by your loft three or four times, trying to work up the nerve to tell you I’d changed my mind."
"Why didn’t you?"
Scotty laughed. "Well, for one thing, you were a lawyer and probably knew how to get a fast restraining order. And for another, I just...I liked you, Kevin. I like you now. But you’re still completely out of my league and - "
"Scotty, stop talking. You were right. It probably wouldn’t have worked out back then. We were both very young, and at different stages in our lives, and I do think money might have been...my father bought my mother a house. He paid tuition for Sarah and Kitty and me, even when he couldn’t bear to look at me. Providing financially for us was a way to show us he loved us, you know? And I’ve had exes accuse me of the same thing - being this overwhelming caretaker who only knew how to apologize or even just say I love you by buying things. But there’s more to life than jobs and money. My dad hurt my mom terribly; he lied, and he cheated, and all the houses in the world couldn’t make up for that. I...don’t want to be like him."
Scotty stayed silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, "You’re not."
Kevin sighed. "How do you know?"
Scotty broke the tension with a joke. "Because on our first date, you took me to a drive-thru."
He could hear Kevin laughing quietly, and he smiled before turning serious. "Recognizing the pattern is the important thing, Kevin. Being aware there’s a problem will help you avoid it. And I’ll let you know when you do or don’t succeed."
"Promise?"
"You can pretty much count on it."
"I promise I’ll never offer to pay for anything, not dinner or a movie, not even a parking meter."
Scotty chuckled. "How romantic."
***
"You looked really good tonight."
Scotty snorted in disbelief. "I was wearing my uniform," he argued, hanging up his coat and shirt.
"I know. All I could think about was the first time we met."
Scotty toed off his shoes and collapsed onto the bed.
"Was that why you were staring at me the entire night?"
"It wasn’t the entire night."
Scotty smirked. At the same time, he unhooked the button on his pants and lowered the zipper, relieving the pressure that had been building there all night. He left his hand resting on his thigh, trying to convince himself he wasn’t going to do this. Or at least that he was going to wait until after the phone call ended.
"You’re right," he agreed teasingly. "There were times I was in the kitchen and you couldn’t see me."
Scotty barely heard Kevin’s low chuckle, but it was still audible enough to affect him. His fingers twitched, and he inhaled, holding the breath.
"It took everything I had not to follow you into that kitchen and find some quiet, private corner."
Scotty raised his hand; it hovered over his lower body briefly before he lifted it to his chest and began to lightly run his fingers up and down his torso. "Why didn’t you?"
Kevin gasped in faux shock. "While you were working?"
Eyes closed, Scotty smiled. "Oh, that’s right. We’re professionals."
"I’m really starting to - " Kevin’s breath hitched, and Scotty’s eyes opened wide. There was a small (possibly imagined) moan before Kevin continued. "I’m really starting to hate that word."
"Kevin?"
"Hmmm?"
Scotty lifted his knees, planting the soles of his feet against the mattress; he rolled his hips, shallowly thrusting into the air. He ran his fingers down his stomach again, and this time, went further.
"What are you doing right now?" he asked breathlessly.
There was a pause, and then Kevin said, very unconvincingly, "Nothing."
"Huh," Scotty replied as he started to move faster. "Is it the same nothing I’m doing?"
"Oh God," Kevin groaned. Scotty took that as a yes.
In a desperate attempt for something - normalcy, perhaps, or later deniability - Scotty tried to keep the conversation going. He shared a few of the juiciest bits of society gossip he had overheard, and Kevin replied with contexts and explanations and histories of the people he knew. But Scotty wasn’t really listening to the details. It was enough to hear Kevin’s voice get rougher and his breathing get faster. If Scotty strained, he could hear Kevin moving, the sheets rustling, the mattress squeaking ever so slightly. Scotty bit back a moan.
"Scotty," Kevin whispered. Then there was nothing but shuddering breaths and a thump as Kevin dropped the phone, and Scotty was coming as well.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes, still breathing heavily. He reached out for the phone he had let slide from his fingers.
"Kev?" No answer. "Kevin?" he tried again.
"I want - how soon can you get over here?"
Scotty tried not to groan. "How soon can you finish this case?"
"I don’t care anymore; I’ll give the case to someone else."
"Please don’t. I want this stupid ordeal to be over; I want to move on from it."
There was silence, and then Kevin sighed. "OK. OK."
In his most resolved voice, Scotty said, "The trial’s in two and a half weeks. I testify; you wow them with your objections and your interrogations and your closing arguments; then it’s over."
"Yeah."
"And until then, stay strong. Stay...professional."
"I hate you."
Scotty smiled. "Earlier events in this conversation would suggest otherwise."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Kevin said, the grin evident in his voice.
"All I’m saying is, you have a very impressive...work ethic."
"What does that even mean?"
Scotty laughed. "I have no idea."
"I’m hanging up now."
"Are you going to review some briefs?"
"Goodbye."
Scotty hung up with a smile. He rolled over to place the phone on the nightstand, then stared at it for a few seconds. Years ago, when he drove away from Kevin’s loft (for the last time), he would never have suspected they would have ended up like this. It was rather surprising, and Scotty wasn’t sure how exactly it happened. He was just happy it had.
Scotty sighed and turned away from his phone, rolling onto his back. Then he raised his head to look down at the mess on his work pants. He dropped his head back down onto his pillow with a short, wry laugh.
***
Kevin had already warned him that, going into final preparations for the trial, he wouldn’t have much time to call Scotty. Which was why he was surprised to see Kevin’s office number on his phone screen only several days later. It wasn’t Kevin, though. It was his assistant, with some very unexpected but welcome news.
"I'm done?" he asked Kevin as he followed him down the hall to his office. "I’m not going on the stage?"
"It’s a witness stand. And no, they settled ten minutes ago."
"I’m crushed," Scotty lied. "I feel like an understudy who never got to go on."
"Sorry," Kevin said insincerely, sitting in front of his computer.
Scotty watched him work for a few quiet moments. "So, it’s over?"
Kevin didn’t even look up as he typed something. "Just paperwork."
Scotty smiled, trying not to take Kevin's distraction personally. He bent slightly, attempting to catch Kevin’s eyes.
"So...it’s over?" he asked again.
Kevin glanced at him, then did a double take. "Oh!" He started to smile. "Yeah, yeah. It’s o - oh God!"
"What?"
Kevin stood up. He covered his mouth with his hand, eyes wide and looking ill. He stared at Scotty and then removed his hand, softly saying, "I’m going out of town this weekend."
"What?!"
He dropped back into his chair, burying his face in his palms. "To Ojai," he mumbled. "We’re selling the place up there; it’s going to be one last family trip. I’m leaving immediately after work today."
Scotty tilted his head back with a loud sigh before facing Kevin again. "When will you be back?"
"Sunday," Kevin said quickly. "I swear. Early Sunday, even. I’m so sorry."
Scotty shrugged resignedly. "It’s not like you knew this was going to happen."
They stared at each other for a few beats.
"OK," Scotty said with false cheer. "I’m going to let you get back to work. And I’ll see you on Sunday?"
"Definitely," Kevin said, standing again to see Scotty out.
Scotty took two steps before stopping abruptly, turning to Kevin and halting him with a hand to his chest. He leaned closer, kissing Kevin lightly. As far as he was concerned, the case was over, and he was done waiting.
Kevin made a noise, stepped closer to Scotty, and deepened the kiss. He raised a hand, burying his fingers in Scotty’s hair, pulling him even closer. What felt like a lifetime later, Scotty slowly pulled back and opened his eyes. Kevin’s eyes were still closed and he had a small smile on his face. Finally, Kevin opened his eyes, locking onto Scotty’s gaze.
"Maybe I’ll be able to sneak out on Saturday," he said quietly.
Scotty smiled.
Part Two
Author: WibbleyWobbley
Rating: R/NC-17
Pairing/Characters: Kevin/Scotty
Word Count: ~5,230
Spoilers: Nope.
Disclaimer: Sadly, not mine.
Summary: Sequel to One-Night Stand
"Mr. Wandell? I am so sorry to have kept you waiting. Mr. Wright is in court - a case of his has unexpectedly gone to appeal, so Mr. Walker will be handling the Mangopian case from now on."
Scotty, in a daze, nodded. He had been waiting on his appointment for twenty-odd minutes now, growing more and more nervous (and annoyed). Now they were switching lawyers on him. He was already starting to wonder if he’d ever be able to get another job - getting your previous employer accused of fraud doesn’t look particularly good on a résumé. If this meeting took much longer, he might miss the catering event tonight. Then he’d get fired, and he’d be in even more trouble.
Nonetheless, he took a deep breath and stood to follow the receptionist down the hall to "Mr. Walker’s" office. And, as he was announced and the lawyer rose to greet him, he promptly forgot everything he had been planning to say about his testimony.
He was hot. And vaguely familiar in that déjà vu kind of way. If he didn’t know better, Scotty would’ve sworn he had seen or met the guy before. But something told him "Mr. Walker" wasn’t the type to grab a beer at Cinnamon Jack’s after a long day in court.
"Mr. Wandell, hello," he said, reaching out to shake Scotty’s hand. "I’m Kevin Walker."
Scotty’s eyes opened ever-so-slightly wider. It couldn’t be...
Could it?
***
The meeting was going...not well. Between his nerves about the case, and his attempts to figure out if this Kevin was his Kevin, and if it was, his somewhat inexplicable desire to prevent Kevin from recognizing him, and his even more inexplicable annoyance at the fact that Kevin didn’t seem to (was Scotty really that forgettable?) - well, Scotty was laying it on a bit thick. He realized that, but he couldn’t stop. And then Kevin looked up at him with that smirk and Scotty knew.
"Oh. My. God. Oh my God, you’re gay," he said. But what he meant was, it is you.
***
Kevin looked adorably flustered as he sat down across from Scotty. Scotty merely smiled slyly at him.
"Should I bring anything to the party?" he asked.
Kevin exhaled. "Look - "
"You don’t want me there?"
"It’s just - it’s wildly unprofessional. The witness at the pool party?"
Scotty paused. Now was his chance. Late last night, or rather - really early this morning, as he slowly, vividly, almost torturously reminded himself of every single detail of their first encounter, he had decided to remind Kevin of their past. If he remembered on his own, it would possibly be even more uncomfortably awkward. Besides, he wanted to see that blush again.
"I understand. It’s OK; I’ve already been there anyway."
Kevin looked up at him in confusion. Scotty held eye contact as he leaned forward across the desk.
"Five or so years ago. Your graduation party. I was part of the catering crew..."
Kevin continued to stare at him, eyes wide; a second later, he accidentally snapped the pencil he was holding in half, resulting in a quick jump from the shock.
"Oh my God. Scotty," he said in a breathless, strangled voice.
Scotty sat back in his seat with a smile, trying not to let on that his stomach was doing somersaults.
"Scotty," Kevin repeated as he stood up behind his desk. "How - how are you?"
Scotty wanted to laugh; it was almost too easy to unnerve Kevin these days. He could hardly believe this was the same man who, back when he was younger (and gayer), seduced Scotty into bed merely by looking at him. The fact that Scotty now had greater control over himself - at least outwardly - than Kevin gave him a feeling of power that he hadn’t felt since this whole insurance thing started.
Scotty stood, walking around the desk to be closer to Kevin, dragging his fingers over the surface.
"I’m good," he said quietly. He watched Kevin swallow thickly as he stopped mere inches away from the other man. "A little wounded that you didn’t remember me - "
Kevin opened his mouth to protest, but Scotty talked over him. "What do you say we go out for dinner and I...jog your memory?"
The feeling of power began to diminish as the conversation grew increasingly out of Scotty’s control. He had intended to simply remind Kevin of their history, tease him a bit, before turning back to the topic of the case. He wasn’t actually going to hit on him. Maybe it was because he wondered last night - as he desperately tried to get enough oxygen to his blood-deprived brain, as he tried to hold on just a little longer - if that long ago evening with Kevin had been as amazing as he remembered. Maybe it was because Kevin’s nervousness and embarrassment reminded Scotty of the vulnerability Kevin had eventually shown that night. Maybe it was because a part of Scotty had always regretted not pursuing the connection they had made.
Because the thing was, Scotty was not really the type of guy who had one-night stands. Certainly some dates had turned out to be mistakes and other relationships were...very short-lived, but he had always gone into them with the intention of actually dating the guy or at least seeing if something was there. Kevin was the only man who had ever affected him so much so quickly. But he had been afraid; he had questioned what a guy like Kevin, with so much going for him, would ever want with a guy like Scotty. Of course, since then, Scotty had realized that he was, not to think too highly of himself, quite a catch. That his job or how much money he made or whether he had gone to college did not determine his worth. Maybe now, he was in the right place to try for a relationship with Kevin.
It seemed Kevin was going to need a little more convincing, though. "I - I really can’t," Kevin stammered. "It’s not that I...I do want to...the case...you’re a witness, I - "
In some ways, Scotty was relieved. On one hand, things had been progressing alarmingly fast just now, and he definitely needed to slow it down, to stop and think. What did he really know about Kevin, after all? Was he prepared to start something, considering their history? Not to mention, this case was already complicating his life. At the same time, he was disappointed, to put it mildly. That night - the whole night, not just the sex - remained near, if not at, the top of the list of memorable moments in his adult life. Here was a chance to go back, to possibly correct a mistake. He wasn’t ready to just walk away again. And he certainly wasn’t going to let this stupid case ruin everything.
"Fair enough," he finally said. "The case isn’t going to last forever."
Kevin inhaled shakily. "No," he agreed with a smile. "And I did wait until you were done with your shift; I should get the same courtesy."
Scotty grinned. He took one step closer to Kevin. "True," he said, dropping his voice low. "But you certainly didn’t make my job any easier, either."
***
And so, they fell into something of a routine. When Scotty had appointments with Kevin, he’d wear his most flattering outfits and stare intently at him through the entire meeting. He would inwardly smirk as Kevin became increasingly flustered. One evening, shortly after his third appointment, Kevin called him to clarify a (rather obvious, Scotty thought) point, and they ended up talking for an hour. That turned into almost daily phone calls about every topic under the sun. Right now, Scotty was curled up on his couch, eating ice cream, with the phone wedged between his shoulder and his ear. He was laughing quietly as Kevin described his day of horror, golfing with some pseudo-friends of his parents.
"And after all that, my mom refused to go to the memorial. We skipped out and went to Two for the Road."
"Oh, I love that movie!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! I forgot it was showing." Scotty saw his chance for a little innuendo. "Oh well, I wouldn’t have wanted to go alone."
"Wouldn’t want to look like a friendless loser?" Kevin asked, laughing.
Scotty took a bite of ice cream, smiling around the spoon as he pulled it out from between his lips. "Mmm, no, it’s not that. It’s just more fun to go to movies with someone. Making out in the back row, seeing just how much you can get away with in the dark, trying to stay quiet while...well, it’s too bad you already went."
The silence on the other end was deafening, and Scotty smiled again. Finally, Kevin cleared his throat. "Well, I’m sure in a few weeks there will be a classic film playing somewhere."
"Can’t wait," Scotty murmured.
***
"Tell me a secret," Kevin said quietly.
Scotty repositioned himself on his bed. He had finished his ice cream hours ago. Now, he was lying on his back, still talking to Kevin, and trying not to reveal just how strongly Kevin’s voice in his ear was affecting him.
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything."
Scotty thought for a second, then decided to reveal something that had been lurking in his memory for the last few days. "After we...I drove by your loft three or four times, trying to work up the nerve to tell you I’d changed my mind."
"Why didn’t you?"
Scotty laughed. "Well, for one thing, you were a lawyer and probably knew how to get a fast restraining order. And for another, I just...I liked you, Kevin. I like you now. But you’re still completely out of my league and - "
"Scotty, stop talking. You were right. It probably wouldn’t have worked out back then. We were both very young, and at different stages in our lives, and I do think money might have been...my father bought my mother a house. He paid tuition for Sarah and Kitty and me, even when he couldn’t bear to look at me. Providing financially for us was a way to show us he loved us, you know? And I’ve had exes accuse me of the same thing - being this overwhelming caretaker who only knew how to apologize or even just say I love you by buying things. But there’s more to life than jobs and money. My dad hurt my mom terribly; he lied, and he cheated, and all the houses in the world couldn’t make up for that. I...don’t want to be like him."
Scotty stayed silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, "You’re not."
Kevin sighed. "How do you know?"
Scotty broke the tension with a joke. "Because on our first date, you took me to a drive-thru."
He could hear Kevin laughing quietly, and he smiled before turning serious. "Recognizing the pattern is the important thing, Kevin. Being aware there’s a problem will help you avoid it. And I’ll let you know when you do or don’t succeed."
"Promise?"
"You can pretty much count on it."
"I promise I’ll never offer to pay for anything, not dinner or a movie, not even a parking meter."
Scotty chuckled. "How romantic."
***
"You looked really good tonight."
Scotty snorted in disbelief. "I was wearing my uniform," he argued, hanging up his coat and shirt.
"I know. All I could think about was the first time we met."
Scotty toed off his shoes and collapsed onto the bed.
"Was that why you were staring at me the entire night?"
"It wasn’t the entire night."
Scotty smirked. At the same time, he unhooked the button on his pants and lowered the zipper, relieving the pressure that had been building there all night. He left his hand resting on his thigh, trying to convince himself he wasn’t going to do this. Or at least that he was going to wait until after the phone call ended.
"You’re right," he agreed teasingly. "There were times I was in the kitchen and you couldn’t see me."
Scotty barely heard Kevin’s low chuckle, but it was still audible enough to affect him. His fingers twitched, and he inhaled, holding the breath.
"It took everything I had not to follow you into that kitchen and find some quiet, private corner."
Scotty raised his hand; it hovered over his lower body briefly before he lifted it to his chest and began to lightly run his fingers up and down his torso. "Why didn’t you?"
Kevin gasped in faux shock. "While you were working?"
Eyes closed, Scotty smiled. "Oh, that’s right. We’re professionals."
"I’m really starting to - " Kevin’s breath hitched, and Scotty’s eyes opened wide. There was a small (possibly imagined) moan before Kevin continued. "I’m really starting to hate that word."
"Kevin?"
"Hmmm?"
Scotty lifted his knees, planting the soles of his feet against the mattress; he rolled his hips, shallowly thrusting into the air. He ran his fingers down his stomach again, and this time, went further.
"What are you doing right now?" he asked breathlessly.
There was a pause, and then Kevin said, very unconvincingly, "Nothing."
"Huh," Scotty replied as he started to move faster. "Is it the same nothing I’m doing?"
"Oh God," Kevin groaned. Scotty took that as a yes.
In a desperate attempt for something - normalcy, perhaps, or later deniability - Scotty tried to keep the conversation going. He shared a few of the juiciest bits of society gossip he had overheard, and Kevin replied with contexts and explanations and histories of the people he knew. But Scotty wasn’t really listening to the details. It was enough to hear Kevin’s voice get rougher and his breathing get faster. If Scotty strained, he could hear Kevin moving, the sheets rustling, the mattress squeaking ever so slightly. Scotty bit back a moan.
"Scotty," Kevin whispered. Then there was nothing but shuddering breaths and a thump as Kevin dropped the phone, and Scotty was coming as well.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes, still breathing heavily. He reached out for the phone he had let slide from his fingers.
"Kev?" No answer. "Kevin?" he tried again.
"I want - how soon can you get over here?"
Scotty tried not to groan. "How soon can you finish this case?"
"I don’t care anymore; I’ll give the case to someone else."
"Please don’t. I want this stupid ordeal to be over; I want to move on from it."
There was silence, and then Kevin sighed. "OK. OK."
In his most resolved voice, Scotty said, "The trial’s in two and a half weeks. I testify; you wow them with your objections and your interrogations and your closing arguments; then it’s over."
"Yeah."
"And until then, stay strong. Stay...professional."
"I hate you."
Scotty smiled. "Earlier events in this conversation would suggest otherwise."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Kevin said, the grin evident in his voice.
"All I’m saying is, you have a very impressive...work ethic."
"What does that even mean?"
Scotty laughed. "I have no idea."
"I’m hanging up now."
"Are you going to review some briefs?"
"Goodbye."
Scotty hung up with a smile. He rolled over to place the phone on the nightstand, then stared at it for a few seconds. Years ago, when he drove away from Kevin’s loft (for the last time), he would never have suspected they would have ended up like this. It was rather surprising, and Scotty wasn’t sure how exactly it happened. He was just happy it had.
Scotty sighed and turned away from his phone, rolling onto his back. Then he raised his head to look down at the mess on his work pants. He dropped his head back down onto his pillow with a short, wry laugh.
***
Kevin had already warned him that, going into final preparations for the trial, he wouldn’t have much time to call Scotty. Which was why he was surprised to see Kevin’s office number on his phone screen only several days later. It wasn’t Kevin, though. It was his assistant, with some very unexpected but welcome news.
"I'm done?" he asked Kevin as he followed him down the hall to his office. "I’m not going on the stage?"
"It’s a witness stand. And no, they settled ten minutes ago."
"I’m crushed," Scotty lied. "I feel like an understudy who never got to go on."
"Sorry," Kevin said insincerely, sitting in front of his computer.
Scotty watched him work for a few quiet moments. "So, it’s over?"
Kevin didn’t even look up as he typed something. "Just paperwork."
Scotty smiled, trying not to take Kevin's distraction personally. He bent slightly, attempting to catch Kevin’s eyes.
"So...it’s over?" he asked again.
Kevin glanced at him, then did a double take. "Oh!" He started to smile. "Yeah, yeah. It’s o - oh God!"
"What?"
Kevin stood up. He covered his mouth with his hand, eyes wide and looking ill. He stared at Scotty and then removed his hand, softly saying, "I’m going out of town this weekend."
"What?!"
He dropped back into his chair, burying his face in his palms. "To Ojai," he mumbled. "We’re selling the place up there; it’s going to be one last family trip. I’m leaving immediately after work today."
Scotty tilted his head back with a loud sigh before facing Kevin again. "When will you be back?"
"Sunday," Kevin said quickly. "I swear. Early Sunday, even. I’m so sorry."
Scotty shrugged resignedly. "It’s not like you knew this was going to happen."
They stared at each other for a few beats.
"OK," Scotty said with false cheer. "I’m going to let you get back to work. And I’ll see you on Sunday?"
"Definitely," Kevin said, standing again to see Scotty out.
Scotty took two steps before stopping abruptly, turning to Kevin and halting him with a hand to his chest. He leaned closer, kissing Kevin lightly. As far as he was concerned, the case was over, and he was done waiting.
Kevin made a noise, stepped closer to Scotty, and deepened the kiss. He raised a hand, burying his fingers in Scotty’s hair, pulling him even closer. What felt like a lifetime later, Scotty slowly pulled back and opened his eyes. Kevin’s eyes were still closed and he had a small smile on his face. Finally, Kevin opened his eyes, locking onto Scotty’s gaze.
"Maybe I’ll be able to sneak out on Saturday," he said quietly.
Scotty smiled.
Part Two