It was after hours at the BSU and Will was still wrapping up some loose papers on forensics he helped Katz, Zeller, and Price work on. Will didn't mind working extra hours on Christmas Eve, not like he had anything better to do, besides he still had to swing by Jack's office to drop off his gift to him. He knows Jack usually lingers around the holidays as well, seeing as how he didn't have much of a life either, aside from his wife Bella.
Will never could get into the festive mood. He wasn't raised to believe in Santa Claus, and even if he was he would've figured out that he didn't exist right off the bat since he never got anything. You could call him a Grinch or Scrooge but you couldn't really blame Will for his lack of excitement during December. He didn't outright hate Christmas, Will just never had the same magic growing up like the other kids.
He always made it a habit to at least get his colleagues something nice as a thanks, however. He wasn't particularly good at gift shopping but Will knew them all well enough to at least be on the same page. Not like any of them were any better at buying the correct gift for Will. They usually got him the typical things like fishing gear, gift cards, and even ties a few times. Will never complains though since they were best things he's ever received for Christmas. He's just glad someone keeps him in mind during the holidays.
After he finishes up the paperwork Will rifles through his desk drawer to retrieve Jack's gift, holding it in his hand for a moment to look over his crappy attempt at wrapping the obvious bottle shape. He didn't know what else to get Jack other than alcohol. Jack wasn't as forthcoming about his hobbies as Katz or Price but one thing was for sure. Jack had a similar vice for whiskey and other alcoholic beverages like Will.
A particular brand never came to mind when Will had swung by the liquor store, so he just assumed that getting his personal favorite for Jack would suffice. Will had good enough taste to know Jack would accept it graciously. There's something in the nauseously festive wrapping paper that makes Will want to tear it away and just have his way with the bottle, but he refrains from doing it for obvious reasons. Will still has plenty of time to get plastered at home.
He shuts the drawer and sets the bottle down on the desktop so he can start collecting his things and be on his way. He slides the finished stack of papers into his side bag as an after thought, pausing only briefly to weigh the pros and cons. Will figures he can swing by with the paperwork tomorrow instead of right now. Will would just feel guilty if he were to pile on more work for Jack just as he's about to leave.
Will flicks off the lights in his classroom just as he's leaving and proceeds to make his way down the corridors. There's still a few people milling around, rushing to get reports onto other people's desks so they can get home to their loved ones at a reasonable hour. Will clutches at the neck of the bottle as he nears Jack's office, vaguely envious for having no one to go home to. He had his dogs, sure, but even then it can be depressing sometimes.
The thought of family and traditions fleets from his mind the moment he finds himself standing outside of Jack's office. Will raps his knuckles lightly against the glass door, making his presence known before entering. Jack is sitting at his desk, going over a few things when he looks up at Will from behind his reading glasses. Jack eyes him briefly like he usually does, giving the young man a once over out of habitual concern to convince himself he's okay.
It's a quirk that Jack isn't even aware he has, but Will notices it every time. Jack pulls his reading glasses off of his face and sets them down on his desk, putting away the report he was looking over to give Will his undivided attention as he folds his hands together. Will walks up towards the desk with the bottle slightly concealed by his side, assuming Jack hadn't seen it yet.
"You're still here?" Jack inquires even though he expected as much from Will.
"Came by to give you this," Will informs, producing his weakly wrapped gift unceremoniously.
"Suppose I should do the same," Jack says, pulling something out of his desk and coming around towards the front of it.
Jack reveals a similar bottle of whiskey, it isn't wrapped but has a red bow tied around the neck instead, and offers it to Will. Will has to smile at the irony that him and Jack had no clue what else to get one another. It seems their only fool proof plan was to get alcohol.
"I guess neither of us are very good at this present thing," Will remarks, exchanging bottles with Jack.
"Or maybe we're just good at reading each other's minds," Jack chuckles, accepting the poorly wrapped bottle of whiskey.
Jack almost immediately tears open the wrapping paper in order to get to the whiskey, prompting Will to quirk an eyebrow. He figures Jack must have had a long day and it wouldn't surprise him if the older man needed something extra to calm his nerves a little. He watches Jack go back around to rummage through a drawer for two glasses and hands one to Will.
Will accepts it and decides, what the hell? He might as well stick around and have a few drinks with Jack since he engaged the notion. Will sits down in the chair in front of Jack's desk, dropping his side pack to the floor, and waits patiently as Jack cracks open his bottle to pour them both drinks. Will mumbles out a thanks and takes a sip of his drink as Jack downs his in one solid gulp. Strike that... Jack must have had a really long day.
"Merry Christmas," Jack proclaims through the warm, burning sensation in his throat.
When Will finishes his drink Jack insists on pouring him another and Will eagerly accepts it without a second thought. Neither of them say a word mostly because Will is too afraid to ask about Jack's day. He supposes it's none of his business either way. This process happens a few more times until Will starts to feel a faint fuzzy feeling washing over him and Jack is capping up what's left of the bottle for another time.
Jack leans against the edge of his desk just in front of Will, sipping languidly on his drink as he studies his young protégé. Jack never really takes the time to truly admire the man that is Will Graham and finds, much to his delight, that his physical beauty can be just as compelling as the crazy, brilliant mind he possesses. With or without glasses. Though, if you ask Jack, he hates those damn glasses because Will uses them as a means to sever connections from other people.
Will's doing it right now as a matter of fact, but mostly because he feels put on the spot by Jack's scrutiny. Will is taking self conscious little sips of his drink, pretending that he doesn't notice the way Jack stares at him with an unreadable expression. Will thinks idly that Jack is fixing to give him a lecture for something he might have done recently, but he doesn't. Jack's tone is surprisingly light when he does speak.
"Why do you do that?" Jack asks suddenly, gazing down at Will with a puzzled expression.
"Do What?" Will inquires, feeling compelled to ask about the obvious bait.
"Hide behind the rim of your glasses," Jack points out, finishing his drink before he sets the glass off to the side. "You look really nice without them obstructing the view of your eyes."
"Thank you," Will mumbles meekly, not knowing how to respond to that particular opinion.
Will continues to work on his drink in tiny little sips, trying to hold off on talking as much as possible. He can make up some lame excuse about having to get home to his dogs, but the truth is Will kind of doesn't want to leave now that Jack is actually making conversation. He's intrigued by what else the older man has to say about him, even if it's just the alcohol talking.
"May I?" Jack asks when he leans forward with a hand poised out in front of him.
He knows what Jack is asking of him and Will mutely nods his consent for Jack to adjust his glasses properly like he has so many times before. This time is different though when Jack goes to rid Will of his glasses altogether, leaving the young man completely exposed. Will squirms in his seat uncomfortably for a second, adjusting to this nakedness as Jack carefully folds his glasses and sets them aside.
Jack even goes so far as to brush a few stray curls out of Will's face when the young man tries to hide behind those as well. Jack cups his hand just underneath Will's stubbled chin and poises it up towards the light to see just how bright his eyes can be. Will's adam's apple bobs when he swallows nervously and he looks anywhere that isn't Jack's boring gaze.
"See? This isn't so bad," Jack suggests in a tender tone, letting his touch linger longer than necessary. "You always looked so much younger without your glasses."
"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Will asks, flustered.
"You're a very bright man. I'm pretty sure you can guess which one it is," Jack tells him, plucking the finished glass of alcohol out of Will's death grip. "You really are breathtaking, Will."
"You don't really think that," Will starts to gush, flushing slightly at the subtext in Jack's words and pretending that they have no merit.
Truth is, Will does have a vague idea of what's transpiring between him and Jack, in fact Will has been aware of it for quite some time now. Though, neither of them were brave enough to acknowledge it. It started around the time Will began teaching but it only truly appeared during the holidays when spirits were frozen in a weird stalemate of emotion. Alcohol usually sped up this inevitable cycle as well. It also didn't help that Jack's wife was terminally ill as of late.
They were typically around colleagues at a Christmas party this time of year where they knew they wouldn't let themselves get carried away. But this was different. Him and Jack were all alone right now with no one around to act as moderators of their unconscious desires. There was nothing stopping either of them from taking that inevitable step except each other and right now Jack was taking a leap of faith by expressing his feelings for Will.
"I've been thinking a lot about our friendship lately, Will..." Jack begins to say, trailing off as if to prompt curiosity from Will.
"Jack, I don't think this is the best time to be discussing this," Will offers with a nervous crack in his voice. He knows what's coming now. There was no getting around it.
"You once told me how you felt," Jack grills, looking down at Will with a fixed and stern gaze. "What was that all about?"
"That was a mistake," Will murmurs, hanging his head down in shame because it hadn't been a mistake at all. "It wasn't appropriate then and it isn't appropriate now."
"Then say it to my face," Jack says with a firm voice, resembling that of an order.
Will complies to Jack's request and slowly raises his head up at the older agent, making it a habit that his eyes be the last to adjust to the shift. The way Jack glares at him is enough to make Will's blood run cold with guilt. He can feel his throat constrict as the words get stuck on his tongue and he can't bring himself to look at Jack any longer, much less lie to him.
"I can't..." Will says weakly, hanging his head for what feels like the billionth time.
"Look at me, Will," Jack says softly this time and Will does. "I want you."
Jack gives him a small smile and cups the side of Will's face, leaning down into Will's space to give him a kiss that leaves the young man breathless. The kiss is deceivingly soft and gentle in the sense that Jack takes his time with Will. Will's eyes flutter close and his body shuts down as all reasonable thought eludes him. He doesn't attempt to push Jack away from him because Will knows he can't stop it even if he wanted to. It was inevitable.
Jack pulls away from Will just marginally as if he means to beckon the young man to raise up out of the chair and Will follows without hesitation. Jack places his hands lightly on Will's hips and spins them around so that he brackets Will between his body and the desk. Will's hands come up, not to push away, but to rest them on Jack's broad shoulders for support instead.
They stare at each other for a brief moment, pressing their foreheads together, before they meet halfway to embrace. Maybe it's the alcohol that makes Will do what he does, but maybe he also doesn't care about the consequences of kissing his married boss. The kiss itself is tight lipped, like Will is a virgin that doesn't know what to do, but Jack guides him through it with slow movements and light caresses. Jack is being gentle, careful so as not to shatter Will into a million pieces, and it makes Will's heart pound in the pit of his throat.
During the midst of the kiss, however, something changes and Jack starts kissing Will deeper with more fervor. Will flounders for a few seconds as he tries to catch up with Jack's over zealous lips. The light embrace of lips turns into passionate tongue locking and Will finds himself clutching to the front of Jack's suit jacket as he's hoisted up onto the desktop.
Will knocks something over on the desk, but neither of them seem to care since Jack has his tongue halfway down Will's throat. Will's legs fall apart and Jack slips between his thighs almost instantly as he goes to wrap his arms around the young man's waist. Will is making choked up little noises and it only manages to urge Jack on.
Jack parts away from Will breathlessly to leave a trail of nipping kisses across his jaw line and down to his neck where he reaches his next destination. Jack latches onto Will's throat, sucking a love bite into the tender skin long enough to leave a bruise. Will whimpers helplessly like he's being suffocated as he grapples at Jack's clothing to ground himself in reality. Jack really holds nothing back and goes to town on Will's neck like it's a chew toy.
One of Jack's hands cups the base of his skull while the other drops down towards Will's crotch to grope at his straining erection. Will gasps at the contact, arching up into Jack's hand like puppy begging to be pet and hangs onto Jack's shoulders. Jack rubs the heel of his hand against the length of Will's hard on with the intent of getting him off and it almost works.
Will hangs his head off to one side where he notices a picture frame that had toppled over when they got into heavy petting. It was a wedding photo of Jack and his wife Bella, and if that didn't send a jolt of guilt down to the pit of Will's stomach he didn't know what would. But it did. Will felt a pang sting his insides as he let Jack Crawford, his boss, a married man, grope him while a better memory of Bella watched on in disappointment.
He wants this, god does Will want this, but he knows it's wrong. It's beyond wrong and the fact that Will shows remorse just further proves the fact. Will swats Jack's hand away and disentangles himself from his older mentor, earning him a flustered look of confused arousal. Will can't even look at Jack right now, he's so ashamed.
"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Jack starts to gush, fawning over Will with light touches.
"We can't do this, Jack," Will states, panting slightly from arousal and nerves. "It doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean?" Jack asks, cradling Will's stubbled face in his big warm hands. "I thought this is what you wanted."
"It is... I do, but..." Will trails off, voice heavy with regret and shame as he spares another glance towards Bella haloed in a veil of white. "But it isn't fair. It's an insult to your wife, Jack, and I can't do that to her."
Jack wants to protest and beg Will to reconsider but he respects the young man's choice even when he doesn't agree with it. He knows when he does and doesn't have consent. Instead, he watches a flustered Will Graham collects his things and straightens out his clothes. Jack steps back when Will goes to slide off the desktop and he lets Will get past him so he can reach for his bag.
Will turns around to awkwardly face Jack and his mentor bashfully hands him the bottle of whiskey with the bow around the neck. Will accepts it with little reluctance, nodding his thanks with a nervous half smile, acting as if him and his boss weren't just getting hot and heavy. Or the fact that Will could have went all the way with Jack right this second.
This is why Will never wanted to acknowledge his feelings for Jack, because someone was bound to get hurt. Will just never thought it could be Bella who got hurt. Will makes a non committal gesture as if to say goodbye and heads for Jack's office door to leave before he lets himself throw caution to the wind. Will pushes the door open but is stopped by Jack's voice.
"Bella's cheating on me, Will," Jack announces, pulling out his last round of ammunition to see if it will make Will stay.
Will pauses for a moment, turning to face Jack with a mirthless smile. He almost wants to cave and stay but he can't. Will knows that. Will makes that exaggerated frowning face and just shrugs.
"Two wrongs don't make a right, Jack," Will enlightens just before he makes his exit.
Will makes his way down the corridor without looking back,thankful, yet slightly disappointed, that Jack isn't coming after him like people do in the movies. He wants to go back to let Jack touch and kiss him, but Will has better self control than that. However, when Will gets to the end of the corridor he has to stop and think. Will knows he made the right choice but it wasn't what he wanted and Will doesn't know what's worse...
Knowing he'll have to explain his hickeys tomorrow at work or the fact that he regrets stopping Jack.