A/N: So this is the first fic in my Christmas-project, my Christmas present to all my lovely readers on my various fics. My goal is to write a christmassy one-shot with each of my ships, so hopefully everyone will find what they are looking for. I'll try to write and post all of them until Christmas.
With this collection I'd like to thank you for all your amazing reviews and the support you have given me as a writer.
Happy Holidays to all of you! 3
Diane and Will: Life's Good…Lockhart/Gardner is better
(canon fic, spoilers up to 5x10)
"Taking work home for the holidays?" I ask as I step in his office, observing him stuffing the files from his desk in his briefcase.
"I assume you are doing the same," he glances at me.
"I am," I nod.
I considered making an exception this year, since it's the first time in long years that I'm not spending Christmas alone, but with the situation I've been in, I cannot afford to be lazy, not even during the holidays and I'm hoping Kurt will understand.
"Kurt must be waiting for you at home, so, Merry Christmas," he says, but I stay put and reveal a packed object to him that I've been hiding behind my back until now.
"I know we don't really do the gift-giving thing, but I'd like to give you something," I manage to surprise him as he eyes the flat object in my hand and I'm wondering if he suspects already what's hiding behind the green wrapping paper, considering it hasn't even been a year, since he gave me the exact same present. But so much has happened ever since, that it feels like a lifetime ago.
"I didn't get you anything," he apologizes, even though it's me who broke our 'tradition' and decided to give him something and it's not even the kind of present he assumes it is.
"It doesn't matter. Merry Christmas," I hand him my gift and he takes it and checks both sides.
"Should I open it now?" he asks hesitantly.
"I'd like you to," I say and he slowly tears the paper open and reveals the object that is all too familiar to both of us.
I don't take my eyes off him, not to miss his reaction. I know I'm taking a huge risk giving him such a present, but I felt like I needed to do something, because this new situation we have been in ever since the betrayal is giving me more pain than I'd ever admit.
"You hate the new signs?" he concludes after one glance inside and looks me straight in the eye.
"I do," I confess, knowing there's no reason to deny it, that's why I've chosen this telling gift. And since I see he isn't angry, I decide to be completely honest with him, which was the whole point of my gesture. "I know I should have told you earlier, but I felt that I had to take a step back after what I had done," I remind him of the interview that we still haven't discussed.
I know he hasn't completely forgiven me yet, because nothing has been the same ever since. He appreciated what I did, how I revealed Alicia's betrayal, and took me back, but he made it clear that he was the boss now.
"You could have said something," he answers as he places the Lockhart/Gardner sign he saved from the dumpster after we had to move out of the 27th floor during bankruptcy.
"I'd like to say something now," I offer and he takes a few seconds to consider, before he nods slowly and sits down, motioning me to do the same.
Once we are both sitting I gather the thoughts that have been on my mind lately and start to speak.
"I understand your enthusiasm, that you want the firm to be the best and the largest. I get the whys too and I want to support you a hundred percent. I know you want what's best for the firm and all of us and you have showed us that you are capable of leadership. It's far from me to lecture you on making mistakes, I've had my share of those. But I'd like to say one thing. With all the changes, I feel like we're forgetting not only about the bad, but the good things. Please don't let what was good about this firm, die like this. Like this sign that ended in the dumpster once more. We need to keep what was good, what made this firm ours, what we loved about it. I would like LG to mean Lockhart/Gardner again. I'd like you to forgive me for what I did and consider me an equal partner again."
"That is some Christmas wish, I shouldn't have worried I didn't get you anything on the first place," he says after what feels like an eternity, but I can't seem to tell if he is serious. I used to be able to read him, but he has changed so much lately and I have trouble understanding what motivates the 'new Will', other than the pain I suppose he's been feeling inside, but never showed.
"I understand if you need to think about it. I probably shouldn't have cornered you like this, but I finally needed to say something. You cannot punish me forever."
"I never realized I'm still punishing you, I'm sorry that you feel that way," he cuts in, using the honest, friendly tone I haven't heard from him in a while.
"If you are still angry…"
"I'm not," he reassures me, "None of what I did was supposed to be against you, I just did what I thought was best for the firm."
"No one even knows what LG stands for, except when they see it on the side of a television," I joke, relieved that he seems to have forgiven me.
"Point taken. Well, we'll have to show the world what Lockhart /Gardner stands for," he promises and this answer is enough to convince me he's been listening.
"That was all I wanted to say," I finish and emerge from my seat. I'm rather satisfied that I managed to tell him what's been bothering me, but I'm not feeling that much better than when I entered the door.
"Will you stay for a drink?" he contradicts what he said earlier, when he wanted to send me home, but I know Kurt won't mind if I stay a little longer and I certainly feel that a proper drinking session is in order for us after the months we have been through by each other's side, but not exactly together.
"Have I ever said no to a glass of Scotch?" I ask smiling as I sit back and I finally see the smile I have been missing from his face for too long.
