A/N: This is the first fic I wrote after weeks of block, so please be gentle! :-)
"Another round?"
She turns her head to look at him, to see if he's serious. This celebration was supposed to be over already, and yet he's offering to refill her glass for the third time that night. After the second round they both took a seat on her couch, she got rid of her shoes and pulled her legs under her. She still doesn't really feel like going home to her empty house, so she's actually grateful for his suggestion.
"Sure, why not?" she lets him fill her glass and they cling them again for the third time, looking into each other's eyes, before taking a sip from their drinks.
"So are we Lockhart/Gardner again?" Will asks leaning back to his previous comfortable position.
"Definitely," she replies without hesitation and another smile appears on her lips.
It just feels so good to finally have him back entirely. These last six months were crazy, endless, demanding, sometimes lonely. Even when he was around, she could always read it on his face that he felt like he didn't belong there. He was an outsider all the time, but he doesn't have to feel that anymore.
"Poor Howard will be devastated," Will breaks her line of thoughts with a funny comment.
"He probably won't even notice the change," she chuckles.
Howard has always been living in his own world, has been a source of amusement for them and nothing more. It was a brilliant idea from Will to vote him for a name partner for the time of his suspension that finally ended about an hour ago. Now they are Lockhart/Gardner again.
"We should let him keep his corner office," Will's suggestion amuses her, but she doesn't really feel like talking about office space at that late hour.
"Let's leave the big decisions for tomorrow," she smiles at him and he raises his glass in her direction silently in understanding.
"You know the only thing I regret is that I never got to finish my book," his declaration makes her chuckle.
"Why don't you just accept that you are a lousy writer?" she teases him with that book for the hundredth time and he still feels like defending his work of art. She read it about three times, tried to help him make it better, but it didn't really work.
"Hey, it wasn't that bad."
"Honestly?"
"Okay, let's drop this," he gives in, without accepting her judgment, it conflicts with his ego after all.
"I'm sorry," she tries to redeem herself, just in case he took it to his heart, she really doesn't want to offend him, it's just that writing is not his calling.
"It's ok, you're probably right anyway," he finally says the magical words and without dwelling on it, she just moves on to another, brighter topic.
"So your first case's already waiting for you."
"Where is it?" his sudden anxiety makes her chuckle.
"You want to have it now?"
"Sure," he replies and she slowly stands up, places the glass on the table, steps into her shoes and approaches her desk.
"You want to sleep with it, don't you?" she teases him as she reaches for the file and walks back with it to the couch.
"Who said anything about sleeping?" he asks as she places the folder in his hand and he opens it at once.
"I for one am already craving for my bed," she says, realizing that probably their night is over anyway. Will looks exactly like a first year who just got his very first case, and she can't blame him for that. She thought six months away from the law would kill him, but he's survived and from now on he'll probably be better than ever.
"Then we should probably call it a night," Will replies without lifting his eyes to her, reading the first page greedily.
"Tomorrow will be a tough day," Diane sighs as she takes her glass and swallows the rest of her drink at once.
"I'm ready," Will smiles at her, this time looking in her eyes again.
"I know you are," she smiles back at him and reaches out to gently squeeze his shoulder then turns around.
"Diane?"
"Yes?" she turns back to his direction and sees him stand up from the couch.
"Thank you, for everything," he finally says the words that probably aren't necessary, but hearing them still warms her heart.
Her lips curl up to a smile as he steps closer and pulls her into a hug. His firm hands hold her tight and she fully gives in to his embrace, letting all the pressure of the last six month disappear for a few seconds. He's there, they are a team again and together they are stronger for this fight.