A/ N: I own nothing except the idea for this story. Jake/Sam is definitely my OTP in LAOUK. Hope you enjoy reading.
Warning: Slash, adult interactions (mild)
The trick is knowing when
Friday night, Black Unicorn Pub
Sam Casey tried not to be the policeman. He wanted to be an ordinary guy enjoying an evening in a pub. He had deliberately chosen a pub on his way home, but not too close to his flat, because he didn't want to chat with his mates. He only wanted to drink a pint or two on his own.
Of course, it didn't work. Sam rethought the events during the Donovan case again and again. Four days had gone since after the end of the trial and he still asked himself, if he had done the right thing. Had it been right to give such evidence? Had he lied or had his words been the truth?
The line between lie and truth had been very thin this time. In the end he would never been able to testify in another way than he had done. But Sam still felt very sick about all these legal tricks. For him this was too close to cheating.
On the other hand he wasn't able to get rid of the expression in Jacob Thorne's eyes during Sam's questioning by Frank Donovan's lawyer. This mixture of panic and discomfort had been worth a lot of things.
Sam chuckled in his beer. He recalled the expression on Jake's face during his "not as smart as he lets on" - and chuckled again. This Prosecutor was really a snob.
"Funny day, today?" the woman behind the bar asked with a smile.
Sam answered her grin and replied shortly: "Funny week."
"Aye, love," the woman said and went to a customer, who called for pint at the other end of the counter.
Left alone Sam let his mind wander again. He listened to the voices around him without following a specific talk. His thoughts drifted around and slowly Sam relaxed.
Some when someone took possession of the free seat next to Sam. He only noticed marginally that the seat was occupied now. Sam wasn't keen on talking at this evening. So, he ignored everyone and everything.
It was a familiar voice, which jolted him out of his daydreams.
"The usual, love?" the barmaid asked.
"Yes, please," the voice answered.
Sam winced. He was able to ignore the fact that some stranger was sitting next to him, but he could hardly ignore that the voice he just heard belonged to Jake Thorne. Carefully he looked up and sneaked a peek at the mirror opposite.
And, yes, indeed, between all the bottles, beer glasses and beakers Sam recognised the mirror image of the Senior Crown Prosecutor.
The first idea manifesting in Sam's mind was too escape without attracting any attention, but with a hen night on one side and Jake on the other this wasn't an option. Sam sighed.
His view moved back to the large mirror and caught Jake Thorne's gaze, who just discovered the DS. Both men looked at each other in silence for a minute or two. Finally Jake nodded at Sam and sipped from his Single Malt.
Before one of them spoke a word, the barmaid drew her attention back to the two men. "Seems you had another tough day, love," she said to Jake.
"Not tougher than usual," he answered with a boyish smile.
"Did you see it?" the woman now asked Sam. "This man has a smile to melt every woman's heart away." She looked at Jake. "Off, love, you should catch one of the hens over there." She pointed at the bunch of young women next to Sam.
"Aye," the DS agreed.
Jake Thorne shook his head. "Not tonight, Maureen," he replied laughing. "There is a pile of files waiting for me at home."
"Always busy, our star pupil" Sam mumbled.
Jake turned around, tried to face him now directly. "Is anything wrong?" he asked silently, but upset. "What have I done now?"
"Nothing," Sam rejoined. He starred in his pint again.
The man next to him was obviously offended. Sam was able to hear this in Jake's sigh. He had to admit that it wasn't fair to leave Jake stranded, but somehow Sam quite enjoyed this. He tried very hard not to giggle.
"If this is still about the Donovan case…," Jake started.
Sam cut him off. "No."
"I think we should work this out." Jake didn't give up.
"And I think I deserve a calm and relaxed knocking-off time." Sam's patience nearly snapped.
"But…"
"No!"
Both men stared straight ahead again, silently and in avoidance to meet the other's gaze in the mirror.
Finally Sam looked at Jake again.
"Pint?"
Saturday morning, somewhere in London
Sam woke up early for a Saturday. Outside the day just started. The light was still dimmed, but Sam was already able to spot that he didn't lie in his own bed. Strictly speaking, he had never been in this room before.
His attention turned from the room to the person next him. Sam saw dark hair and well-shaped shoulders.
A man. Sam breathed a sigh of relief. Right now he wasn't very keen on any complication. In his experience it was always easier to handle an unknown man he had spent the night with than a woman dragged off somewhere.
The man's regular breathing made it difficult to say, if he was still asleep or not. But it made Sam feel comfortable.
Sam's eyes scanned the body next to him again. The blanket had been kicked down and so, the view to the other's back was clear. Sam liked what he saw. Carefully his fingers reached out and touched the warm skin gently.
Jake had been aware that he wasn't alone in his bed right after he had woken up. He had listened to the sound of the breath, but didn't dare to turn around.
Suddenly a hand touched his back softly. Jake's senses followed this touch and his body answered with pleasant shiver. He was just able to avoid a groan.
As Jake noted with relief, the hand was the hand of man. He could hardly remember the Black Unicorn and had therefore been afraid that he had finally ended up with of the hen night girls.
Meanwhile the hand stroking his body became perkier. Jake wasn't able to control his curiosity any longer. He slowly turned around.
"You?!" The expression on Jake Thorne's face was - again - priceless.
Sam Casey burst out laughing. "Is something wrong with this?" he asked as he calmed down again.
Jake gave him one of these looks, which made Sam always feel weak in his stomach, before he answered: "No, actually not." It didn't feel as odd as he had usually expected. On contrary, it felt somehow right.
Besides to wake up next to a strange woman this was the second craziest thing Sam was able to imagine. He tried not to start laughing again, but the amused glint in his eyes revealed his delight.
"Do you have any idea how we ended up here?" Jake asked. His eyes met Sam's again.
Sam shook his head. "Not a clue," he replied with a low voice as soft as Jake had never heard it before. "Too many pints, I guess."
"Same for me," Jake said. "I know neither how, nor what..." He paused. His fingers reached out to touch Sam's chest. This touch was hesitant and slightly only at first, but it became purposeful quickly and rested finally on Sam's hip.
"It's not only justice, which is sometimes a little bit sneaky," Sam teased.
"I don't know," Jake replied, while he leaned over to the other side of the bed.
"Can't you at least admit once, that I'm right," Sam complained.
Jake raised his lips from Sam's chest. "You now got the chance to convince me about one thing or the other, if you like," he invited him.
"You should not think that there is nothing a cop could still teach you," was the last sentence spoken out loud in the room for quite some time.
Saturday morning, kitchen of Jacob Thorne's flat
Jake listened to the sound of the running water from his bathroom. He got a slight hangover and was longing for a hot shower. In addition, some fresh scratches on his back kept the memory of the hour spent with Sam in the bedroom alive.
The water noise stopped and some minutes later Sam appeared in the kitchen bare-chested and with only a towel tightened around his hips.
"Nice place," Sam said looking around in the kitchen. "The CPS must pay its clerks very well."
"What?" Jake was irritated, but following Sam's looks he understood. "This flat? No. I mean, I already bought this, when I was a barrister."
"I see, law firms pay obviously better than the CPS," Sam teased. "Why did you leave then? Robin Hood syndrome? Bringing the bad guys behind bars instead of going in a bar celebrating with them after the trial?"
Jake sighed. "I wish you would stop teasing for once only. But I'm afraid it's innateness."
With a slight smile Jake scanned the appearance in front of him. He liked what saw; the trained body, the small drops of water glittering in Sam's hair, the boyish smile that answered his.
"What?" Sam looked down at himself.
"Nothing," Jake replied grinning. "Coffee?"
"Yeah, thanks." Sam took the mug Jake offered him and enjoyed the vitalising power of the hot drink. Between two gulps he asked a question, which preyed on his mind. "I always thought you were quite a ladies' man. Obviously, you are not, are you?"
"I've tried from time to time, but in the end I'm definitely not really a ladies' man." Jake smiled.
Sam answered this smile. "Interesting that you still got the reputation of a womanizer."
"The trick," Jake said and put his mug back on the kitchen table. "The trick is knowing how."
"Really?" Sam chuckled. "I thought, the trick is knowing when."
"Yes, the trick is knowing when", Jake explained patiently. "But sometimes the trick is also knowing how... or whom... or why."
Both men stood close together. Jake's right hand wandered down to the towel. "It's not fair that you're fully dressed," Sam complained when he felt Jake loosing the towel. "Take your shirt off."
Jake did as he had been told, but when he released the towel, it fell down.
"Still an advantage for you," Sam grumbled.
"Aye," Jake rejoiced and enjoyed the sight. "But I'm not as smart as I let on, right?"
Sam laughed out. "This does bother you, doesn't it?" To comfort Jake, he stroked his hair.
"I'm glad you're off duty today," Jake smirked. "It would be difficult to explain Alesha, why you're using my aftershave."
"But you said one trick would be knowing how. I simply tell her you are my new example regarding style," Sam suggested.
"Am I really?" Jake felt pleased.
"What?" Sam was confused.
"Your new example?"
"You're such a peacock," Sam uttered.
The following struggle resulted in another very pleasant spent hour.
Tuesday afternoon, Old Baileys
Jacob Thorne left the courtroom after his last trial on this day. The case had been easy and so, this trial had been a formality only.
On his way through the hall the DS Brooks and Casey crossed his path. "Ronnie... Sam," he greeted both men. "Working on a case?"
"Yes," Ronnie confirmed. "We met Alesha regarding the Miller case. She's preparing the accusation between two hearings."
Jake nodded. The management of the CPS had decided to assign the young Prosecutor more and more duties. Alesha would make her way for sure.
Speaking of Alesha... "Nice aftershave, Sam," Jake noted apparently out of the blue. "New?"
The addressed man turned away for a second and tried not to face the Prosecutor. "No," Sam finally replied. "Still the same like last week."
"Really, I would have bet, it is a new one. However, there is some work waiting for me back at the office." Jake said goodbye and left the hall at a smart pace.
"Sometimes I'm not able to say, when he's kidding and when he's earnest," Ronnie said shaking his head. "And sometimes I've got the feeling he's both at one and the same time."
"Aye, but the trick, Ronnie," Sam replied in a perfect imitation of Jake's voice. "The trick is knowing when."