A/N: First time I wrote a oneshot so fast. I actually had a plan and everything! Which is pretty atypical of my writing, unfortunately.

I do not own, nor shall I ever own CBS's BrainDead, there would be a lot more of Aaron Tveit's face if I did...

Hey Laurel,

I thought this would be the best way to reach you since you're not-

"Goddammit, then I'll sound like an asshole. I already feel like one, no need to go and make myself into a bigger one." Gareth groaned as he leaned back in his chair. He had decided to write an email to Laurel to apologize for what happened that night at the wake. She wasn't returning any of his calls, again, and he felt a text really wasn't enough. But what do you say in an email like that? He sat forward, and started typing.

Hey Laurel,

Sorry I kissed you, and then pretended it wasn't anything. 'Cause, you know, that's what mature adults do, and totally not teenage boys who don't know how to act around their crush. I hope you'll still talk to me and everything.

Sincerely,

The Idiot Who Kinda-Sorta Likes/Screwed Up Any Chance He Had With You

"Yeah, that would be sooo smooth." He leaned forward in his chair, and rested his head on his keyboard. There was a familiar 'swoosh' sound out of his laptop's speaker and he sat up in immediate, wide-eyed terror.

"Oh, shit." He had accidentally sent that email to her. "What the hell am I going to do now?"

Did he play it off as another joke? No, that would just make everything so much worse. That's how he got into this mess in the first place, anyway.

Try to get to her before she reads the email? And what, convince Laurel to give him her phone and laptop so he can delete it? Yeah… How was he going to get to her before that, anyway? She probably already checked her phone…

Wait, doesn't she have constituent casework? She can't check her phone while she's doing that, so he could…

So he could WHAT?! He dropped his head back on his desk, purposefully pushing his laptop out of the way this time.

He was back at square one, trying to come up with some elaborate plan to get her phone and laptop, to delete an email he didn't mean to send, but meant every word of. Yeah, that's not pathetic at all… Not to mention wasting the precious time he had before she might see said email.

"Screw it." Red was out to lunch at the gym anyway. He got up and walked out of his office, with the determined look of a man on a mission.

0o0o0

Laurel had been grateful, and a little sad, when her phone had finally stopped buzzing that morning. She knew Gareth was just trying to apologize, she just didn't want to hear it at the moment. She still felt a little angry at him, but for the most part it was because she was scared of how much she felt about him.

Her phone buzzed a single time, an email then, it could wait.

The constituent in the room, a doctor on her lunch break according to the form, cleared her throat. Laurel shook her head to clear it of the image of a pair of pleading blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, not a lot sleep lately. What were you saying, Dr. Anderson?" The blonde ran a hand through her hair before answering.

"Well, my roommate has always been a little weird, but lately she's taken a different turn."

"Different how? And how am I supposed to help you with this?"

"I'm friends with Rochelle Daudier. She said you would be the person to talk to about this?" The woman looked a little hesitant to keep going. Being a doctor she was probably a little skeptical about what a senator's constituent caseworker could do for her. Laurel was up to the challenge.

"Has she become a little extreme about politics?" A nod. "Stopped drinking completely?" Another nod. "Thinks the world will literally end if Trump becomes President, or the other way round?"

"She always thought Trump was a joke, but now it's like-" The door to the conference room opened and someone—who she was going to ignore—popped his head in.

"Hey, Laurel, can I talk to you for a second?" She almost broke on hearing his voice, but she kept looking at the young woman in front of her. Even though said woman had turned to look at the handsome intruder.

"I'm with someone right now, Mr. Ritter." She knew that was a low blow, but she was upset. "Please wait outside, just like everyone else."

"No, I actually can't, Laurel." He put an emphasis on using her first name. "Can I please speak to you in your office, alone?" She finally looked up at him and the look on his face was so serious and determined that it nearly stunned her. It must be important if he looks that serious.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Excuse me for a couple minutes?" She stood up and Gareth held the conference room door open for her as he followed her to her office. He closed that door behind them.

"So what's going o-" He grabbed her by the waist with one arm, pulling her to him, and pressed his lips onto hers. It was just for a moment, but in that moment she had ended up against the opposite wall of her office. He wasn't forceful, it was almost like he was asking her something. But before Laurel could figure out what, he pulled away.

"It was something, and I am so sorry." Then she knew what Gareth had been asking for in that kiss. Forgiveness.

She decided to answer him by putting one hand on his neck and the other on his face, pulling him closer. She smiled at the surprise in his ridiculously blue eyes as she leaned in to kiss him soundly.

There was that spark again! Only this time she reveled in it, instead of running from it. He gently pulled away after another, much longer, moment, placing a couple small kisses on her lips as he did so. He left his forehead on hers as he paused to catch his breath.

"So, do I take it that I'm forgiven or should I apologize again?" Laurel wanted wipe that smirk off his smug face, whether by smacking him or kissing him again, she couldn't decide. So she did both. He just chuckled when she lightly smacked his shoulder, but he did let out a small yelp when she pulled him down by the lapels of his impeccably tailored suit.

She smiled cheekily as she pulled away, but then the smile dropped a little as she came to a decision.

"What's wrong?" He put a hand on her cheek, and looked into her eyes, his own full of concern.

"There's something I need to tell you, but I really need to finish up with my constituent. I want you to wait right here. Don't move." A small smirk for just a second and she saw him nod.

"I need you to let go now, Gareth."

"But you told me not to move." God, that smirk was going to be the death of her.

"Haha," She kissed his cheek as she slipped under his arm. "Just give me a few minutes to finish up, and I promise I will explain everything when I get back." And she stepped out of her office.

"Oh, wait!" Gareth called out to her and she turned in the doorway to look at him. "You might, uh, see an email from me? And, while none of it's a lie, I didn't mean to actually send it. It was just me, uh, venting to myself about what happened. And maybe one day I'll look back at it and laugh, but, uh, that day is definitely not today." Nervous laughter spilled from his mouth.

"Hunh," she paused, tilting her head to the side. "You should know me well enough by now. Giving me something to embarrass you? It's like dangling catnip in front of a cat." The puppyish look on his face almost made her burst out laughing. "Oh fine, I promise I won't look at it until you say it's okay."

"Thanks, Laurel. I will be right here," he pointed to the chair behind her desk, "when you get back." Cheeky grin once more in place. She smiled back, closed the door after her, and took a deep breath.

Gustav wasn't going to like having another government employee knowing the 'secret', but Gareth could be a big help. Laurel just had to figure out how to convince him of the truth. That there were bugs eating peoples' brains and either turning them into political extremists, or making their heads explode.

Simple, right?

Hope you like it! Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Let me know :)