fic: Alliances (Will, Kalinda)
Title: Alliances
Rating: PG
Characters: Kalinda Sharma, Will Gardner
Words: ~1700
Summary: Even though she keeps her alliances quiet, she likes having Will on her side, and working for Eli would mean losing that.
Author's Notes: Takes place after 3x03, a Will and Kalinda friendship fic.
He doesn't know what possesses him to do it. He knows it's a terrible idea as soon as he steps off the elevator. But he knocks.
Zach answers the door. His dark hair sweeps across his forehead. It's so easy to picture Alicia grabbing him to brush it out of his eyes and Zach making a face and squirming away from her. Will almost laughs out loud at the image, but manages to speak up instead. "Hi."
"Hey," Zach nods.
"I was looking for your mom." Will peers past him into the apartment.
"You're her boss, right? Will?" Zach's different than he imagined. Will expected him to take after Peter, but he doesn't, at least not yet. He's sort of awkwardly tall. Skinny. Will remembers what that was like.
"One of her bosses. You must be Zach." Will extends his hand and Zach shakes it firmly.
"Yeah." The boy looks surprised. "How did you know?"
"Your mom and I are old friends. She talks about you and your sister a lot."
Zach grins at this. He has Alicia's smile. "Hey, Mom," he calls over his shoulder. "Will's here."
"Will?" Alicia's surprised tone floats out of the apartment. She appears in the entryway a minute later, wearing jeans and a sweater. Will likes seeing her like this. It's something he doesn't get to see very often, but he remembers it from their law school days. Alicia dressed in a sweater or one of his sweatshirts, trying to get him out the door, saying they'll be late for class. Alicia puts a hand on Zach's shoulder. "Thanks, sweetheart."
"Nice to meet you," Zach nods at Will before he disappears into the apartment.
"You too." Will smiles.
Alicia doesn't invite him inside. Instead she steps out into the hall, closing the door softly behind her. "Will, what are you doing here?" Just by the tone of voice, he knows she's not happy he showed up like this. "Is it work?"
"No." He shakes his head. "It's not work." Will slips his hands into his pockets. "I just thought...I've never met Zach or Grace..."
"And you didn't think you might leave that up to me?" He recognizes the look in her eyes. It's the same one she gets at work or in court when a comment incenses her.
"Yeah," Will nods. "Yeah, you're right." He's overstepped. "Zach seems like a good kid, though."
A half smile crosses her face. She's proud of him. "Yeah." She gives him a tight-lipped smile.
Something about this angers him. He knows it's irrational. He knows Alicia is protective of her family, but God, he's known her for forever. It comes out of his mouth before he can stop it. "They don't even know about me, do they?"
Alicia looks startled, but doesn't miss a beat. "What should they know, Will?" She hisses. "That I've been sleeping with you?" He stares at her blankly, trying to find something in her face to tell him she's sorry. But that's all she thinks of him. That's it.
"Is that all this is to you? Because that's not all it is to me." Alicia's eyes widen slightly. "You don't see a future here?" His voice is a sharp whisper.
Alicia crosses her arms over her chest, as if she's simply cold. She doesn't say anything for a long moment. She won't look at him.
"Yeah," he says hoarsely. "Yeah, of course." He turns his back on her to wait for the elevator. His heartbeat is ringing in his ears like he's just run five miles. Half of him hopes she'll step towards him, change her mind, and say something, but then he hears the click of her door shutting behind him. Will rests his forehead against the corner of the elevator doorway, letting out a sigh.
*
She's already in bed when she gets the text from Will. She's been laying low lately, still not sure where all this has left her. Lately, between Eli and the firm, she's been buried in work. Sometimes she wonders if she was an idiot to turn down Eli's offer. Even though she keeps her alliances quiet, she likes having Will on her side, and working for Eli would mean losing that. The money was tempting, but lately, loyalty meant more to her. Enough to drag her out after midnight.
From the street, she can't see him seated at the bar, but as she enters, she spots him in a booth near the back. Kalinda only needs one glance at him to know this is about Alicia.
She slides in across from him. There are dark shadows under his eyes, like he hasn't been sleeping, and his shirt is rumpled, unbuttoned at the neck. There's a day's worth of hair on his face at least. Kalinda wonders if Diane even allowed him in the office like this.
He glances up at her and for a second she doesn't know what to say. "Wow, this look really works for you." She notices his empty glass and waves a waitress over. "Another round for him. And a double for me."
Will doesn't say anything, just twirls the empty glass in his fingers. Kalinda waits for him to talk. The waitress returns with their drinks. Kalinda takes a sip and tries not to make a face. She hates scotch, but she drinks it with Will.
"What happened?"
"It's stupid." Will shakes his head. He blinks slowly. He's already drunk.
"I'm sure it's not." She takes another sip of her drink, winces as it burns her throat.
"She doesn't take me seriously." His voice slurs on 'seriously.' For half a second, Kalinda hopes she's wrong, and it's not about Alicia. "I've told her how I feel...I don't know what else to do."
"This is Alicia we're talking about?" She knows it, but asks anyway.
"Yeah, Alicia." He breaks off for a long moment. "We've been seeing each other..." Will stops, frowns. "Did she tell you?"
Kalinda shakes her head slightly, her gaze falling to Will's fingers on his glass. "No, she didn't tell me."
“It's been going on for a while...” Will's frown deepens and Kalinda can see the realization of what she's said dawn on his face. He takes a step back in the conversation. "But you two are close."
"We were..." Kalinda sits back, looks at him.
He picks up on the past tense and his brow furrows yet again. "Something happened."
"No, Will," she insists, swallowing the feeling of panic rising up in her throat. He can't make her talk about it. She's not ready yet. "You were talking about Alicia."
He watches her carefully for a moment and Kalinda's afraid to blink, to show any sign of weakness, because knowing Will, he won't just drop it. When they first started working together, he slowly pried her secrets out of her, leveraging what she confided in him with some of his own.
Will straightens in his seat, resting his elbow on the table as he leans forward. "Yeah," he nods. "I don't know what else to tell her. She doesn't listen."
She doesn't ask him to clarify, because she knows exactly what he's told her. It was obvious the first time Alicia stepped into the halls of the firm. "She listens, Will." Kalinda's not sure how to tell him this easily. "But she and Peter..." The name sticks in her throat. "Haven't even separated yet, have they?"
"No. Well, not officially." There's a bitterness in his voice. "But it's not even about that." Will takes a long pull from his glass.
"It's not?"
"No. I knew when we got together that it would be...complicated. Messy." He clenches his jaw. "She's not letting me in, K."
She can't imagine Alicia--Saint Alicia--sleeping with Will and not letting herself become at least a little emotionally invested. Kalinda always accused her of being too soft with her clients. Empathizing with them. Had the latest revelation about Peter, about them, really hardened Alicia so much?
"I'm sorry," she tells him, not knowing what else to say.
He shrugs, like it doesn't bother him. Will acts like things don't stick, but he'll turn them over and over in his mind until they eat away at him.
"What happened, exactly?" She almost doesn't want to ask, but Will needs to talk about it.
Kalinda listens to him explain his trip to her apartment. "She's protective of her family." Will is already aware of this.
"Yeah," he grimaces. "It was the wrong approach. But I don't want to push."
"You need to tell her. Keeping it secret won't do either one of you any good." She should know.
Will gives her a long look. "What happened between you and Alicia?"
Kalinda thinks about bluffing her way through it, fixing Will with a sly smile, and avoiding the subject, but instead she says: "I kept a secret from her." Before Will has time to press her for details, she continues. "I think you should tell Diane."
"What?" Will looks at her blankly.
"I think you should tell Diane about you and Alicia."
Will coughs, trying not to choke on that last sip of scotch. "You got a death wish for me, K?"
"No. I like you too much for that." She gives him a quick smirk.
"You softie." Will teases, his hand over his heart for a brief moment.
"Tell Diane. Take Alicia on a date. No more hiding it."
Will still looks skeptical.
Kalinda cocks an eyebrow. "You can't be afraid of Diane."
"I'm not afraid of Diane."
"Mmmhm."
"You're really not going to tell me what happened between you and Alicia?"
Kalinda finishes her drink. "It's getting late." She slips out of the booth and passes him some cash. He waves her off.
“Keep it,” he tells her. “Take a cab home.”
“I like walking.”
"Take care of yourself, K.” He tells her. “And thanks.”
She gives him a slight smile and slips her hands into the pockets on her leather jacket. “Good night.”
Rating: PG
Characters: Kalinda Sharma, Will Gardner
Words: ~1700
Summary: Even though she keeps her alliances quiet, she likes having Will on her side, and working for Eli would mean losing that.
Author's Notes: Takes place after 3x03, a Will and Kalinda friendship fic.
He doesn't know what possesses him to do it. He knows it's a terrible idea as soon as he steps off the elevator. But he knocks.
Zach answers the door. His dark hair sweeps across his forehead. It's so easy to picture Alicia grabbing him to brush it out of his eyes and Zach making a face and squirming away from her. Will almost laughs out loud at the image, but manages to speak up instead. "Hi."
"Hey," Zach nods.
"I was looking for your mom." Will peers past him into the apartment.
"You're her boss, right? Will?" Zach's different than he imagined. Will expected him to take after Peter, but he doesn't, at least not yet. He's sort of awkwardly tall. Skinny. Will remembers what that was like.
"One of her bosses. You must be Zach." Will extends his hand and Zach shakes it firmly.
"Yeah." The boy looks surprised. "How did you know?"
"Your mom and I are old friends. She talks about you and your sister a lot."
Zach grins at this. He has Alicia's smile. "Hey, Mom," he calls over his shoulder. "Will's here."
"Will?" Alicia's surprised tone floats out of the apartment. She appears in the entryway a minute later, wearing jeans and a sweater. Will likes seeing her like this. It's something he doesn't get to see very often, but he remembers it from their law school days. Alicia dressed in a sweater or one of his sweatshirts, trying to get him out the door, saying they'll be late for class. Alicia puts a hand on Zach's shoulder. "Thanks, sweetheart."
"Nice to meet you," Zach nods at Will before he disappears into the apartment.
"You too." Will smiles.
Alicia doesn't invite him inside. Instead she steps out into the hall, closing the door softly behind her. "Will, what are you doing here?" Just by the tone of voice, he knows she's not happy he showed up like this. "Is it work?"
"No." He shakes his head. "It's not work." Will slips his hands into his pockets. "I just thought...I've never met Zach or Grace..."
"And you didn't think you might leave that up to me?" He recognizes the look in her eyes. It's the same one she gets at work or in court when a comment incenses her.
"Yeah," Will nods. "Yeah, you're right." He's overstepped. "Zach seems like a good kid, though."
A half smile crosses her face. She's proud of him. "Yeah." She gives him a tight-lipped smile.
Something about this angers him. He knows it's irrational. He knows Alicia is protective of her family, but God, he's known her for forever. It comes out of his mouth before he can stop it. "They don't even know about me, do they?"
Alicia looks startled, but doesn't miss a beat. "What should they know, Will?" She hisses. "That I've been sleeping with you?" He stares at her blankly, trying to find something in her face to tell him she's sorry. But that's all she thinks of him. That's it.
"Is that all this is to you? Because that's not all it is to me." Alicia's eyes widen slightly. "You don't see a future here?" His voice is a sharp whisper.
Alicia crosses her arms over her chest, as if she's simply cold. She doesn't say anything for a long moment. She won't look at him.
"Yeah," he says hoarsely. "Yeah, of course." He turns his back on her to wait for the elevator. His heartbeat is ringing in his ears like he's just run five miles. Half of him hopes she'll step towards him, change her mind, and say something, but then he hears the click of her door shutting behind him. Will rests his forehead against the corner of the elevator doorway, letting out a sigh.
*
She's already in bed when she gets the text from Will. She's been laying low lately, still not sure where all this has left her. Lately, between Eli and the firm, she's been buried in work. Sometimes she wonders if she was an idiot to turn down Eli's offer. Even though she keeps her alliances quiet, she likes having Will on her side, and working for Eli would mean losing that. The money was tempting, but lately, loyalty meant more to her. Enough to drag her out after midnight.
From the street, she can't see him seated at the bar, but as she enters, she spots him in a booth near the back. Kalinda only needs one glance at him to know this is about Alicia.
She slides in across from him. There are dark shadows under his eyes, like he hasn't been sleeping, and his shirt is rumpled, unbuttoned at the neck. There's a day's worth of hair on his face at least. Kalinda wonders if Diane even allowed him in the office like this.
He glances up at her and for a second she doesn't know what to say. "Wow, this look really works for you." She notices his empty glass and waves a waitress over. "Another round for him. And a double for me."
Will doesn't say anything, just twirls the empty glass in his fingers. Kalinda waits for him to talk. The waitress returns with their drinks. Kalinda takes a sip and tries not to make a face. She hates scotch, but she drinks it with Will.
"What happened?"
"It's stupid." Will shakes his head. He blinks slowly. He's already drunk.
"I'm sure it's not." She takes another sip of her drink, winces as it burns her throat.
"She doesn't take me seriously." His voice slurs on 'seriously.' For half a second, Kalinda hopes she's wrong, and it's not about Alicia. "I've told her how I feel...I don't know what else to do."
"This is Alicia we're talking about?" She knows it, but asks anyway.
"Yeah, Alicia." He breaks off for a long moment. "We've been seeing each other..." Will stops, frowns. "Did she tell you?"
Kalinda shakes her head slightly, her gaze falling to Will's fingers on his glass. "No, she didn't tell me."
“It's been going on for a while...” Will's frown deepens and Kalinda can see the realization of what she's said dawn on his face. He takes a step back in the conversation. "But you two are close."
"We were..." Kalinda sits back, looks at him.
He picks up on the past tense and his brow furrows yet again. "Something happened."
"No, Will," she insists, swallowing the feeling of panic rising up in her throat. He can't make her talk about it. She's not ready yet. "You were talking about Alicia."
He watches her carefully for a moment and Kalinda's afraid to blink, to show any sign of weakness, because knowing Will, he won't just drop it. When they first started working together, he slowly pried her secrets out of her, leveraging what she confided in him with some of his own.
Will straightens in his seat, resting his elbow on the table as he leans forward. "Yeah," he nods. "I don't know what else to tell her. She doesn't listen."
She doesn't ask him to clarify, because she knows exactly what he's told her. It was obvious the first time Alicia stepped into the halls of the firm. "She listens, Will." Kalinda's not sure how to tell him this easily. "But she and Peter..." The name sticks in her throat. "Haven't even separated yet, have they?"
"No. Well, not officially." There's a bitterness in his voice. "But it's not even about that." Will takes a long pull from his glass.
"It's not?"
"No. I knew when we got together that it would be...complicated. Messy." He clenches his jaw. "She's not letting me in, K."
She can't imagine Alicia--Saint Alicia--sleeping with Will and not letting herself become at least a little emotionally invested. Kalinda always accused her of being too soft with her clients. Empathizing with them. Had the latest revelation about Peter, about them, really hardened Alicia so much?
"I'm sorry," she tells him, not knowing what else to say.
He shrugs, like it doesn't bother him. Will acts like things don't stick, but he'll turn them over and over in his mind until they eat away at him.
"What happened, exactly?" She almost doesn't want to ask, but Will needs to talk about it.
Kalinda listens to him explain his trip to her apartment. "She's protective of her family." Will is already aware of this.
"Yeah," he grimaces. "It was the wrong approach. But I don't want to push."
"You need to tell her. Keeping it secret won't do either one of you any good." She should know.
Will gives her a long look. "What happened between you and Alicia?"
Kalinda thinks about bluffing her way through it, fixing Will with a sly smile, and avoiding the subject, but instead she says: "I kept a secret from her." Before Will has time to press her for details, she continues. "I think you should tell Diane."
"What?" Will looks at her blankly.
"I think you should tell Diane about you and Alicia."
Will coughs, trying not to choke on that last sip of scotch. "You got a death wish for me, K?"
"No. I like you too much for that." She gives him a quick smirk.
"You softie." Will teases, his hand over his heart for a brief moment.
"Tell Diane. Take Alicia on a date. No more hiding it."
Will still looks skeptical.
Kalinda cocks an eyebrow. "You can't be afraid of Diane."
"I'm not afraid of Diane."
"Mmmhm."
"You're really not going to tell me what happened between you and Alicia?"
Kalinda finishes her drink. "It's getting late." She slips out of the booth and passes him some cash. He waves her off.
“Keep it,” he tells her. “Take a cab home.”
“I like walking.”
"Take care of yourself, K.” He tells her. “And thanks.”
She gives him a slight smile and slips her hands into the pockets on her leather jacket. “Good night.”