Mr Suit & Tie

Author's Note: Ressler (up until this latest season) almost always wears a suit and tie. Here's a short conversation about that. For Febressuary 2022. Let me know what you think.

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"Shit," Samar said as she wiped at some sauce that fell on her black shirt as they sat eating Pad Thai around Aram's work station.

Ressler looked at her scrubbing at it and winced.

"At least you're wearing black," he offered as he chewed his own food.

"I have to meet that judge today," Samar sighed as she tried to get the stain out and was making it slightly worse with her napkin.

"I'd offer you my spare shirt but it's going to be too big for you," he said kindly.

Samar dabbed at it with some water as she stole a quick glance at him.

"What is it with you and the suits?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

"You always wear them, even Aram will wear a sweater on occasion with dress pants," Samar said, giving up on the stain and hoping it would dry quickly.

"They look professional," Ressler said without much thought.

"A lot of clothes can look professional without being a full and pressed suit," Samar said, picking up her fork.

He nodded.

"So? What gives?" Samar asked.

He sighed and his eyes shifted toward her.

"In our job with all the chasing we do, there are plenty of other things you could wear that would be professional but allow you more movement," Samar said. "I'm intrigued why you continue to wear suits when, really, unless you're in court they aren't necessary or the best choice for your job."

Ressler put down his fork and wiped his mouth.

"Honestly?" He said. "Right now I've just gotten used to them and they're easy and don't require much thought. But in the beginning when I was a new agent, I looked really young. A lot of the guys I worked with called me Prom King because they said I looked like I could still be in high school. So, I started to wear suits to look a little older, more professional, more experienced. And, I guess it's just stuck."

Samar nodded and smiled at him.

"I'm not saying you don't suit a suit Ressler," Samar smiled. "I'm just saying that you don't need to prove yourself anymore. You're a seasoned and decorated agent. You can dress down on occasion if you like."

He nodded and chuckled as he picked up his food again.

"What?" Samar asked, wanting in on the joke.

"I was thinking if we all wore more casual clothes no one would believe we were FBI when we showed up at a scene," Ressler chuckled. "I keep the public from questioning the task force when they see one of us in a suit."

"True," Samar chuckled with him.

"Maybe you can convince Liz to start wearing suits to represent professionalism so you can dress down?" Samar asked.

"You and I both know that she makes up her own mind," Ressler chuckled before reaching for his water.

"Yeah, but I think you've got some sway there," Samar smirked.

"Trust me, it's worth wearing a suit everyday rather then getting into it with her over that," Ressler said before he took a drink. "And besides, suits take up a lot of room, and her tights take up no room, we don't have the closet space."

Samar snickered and nodded.

"And I somehow sense you like the tights Liz wears," Samar eyed him carefully.

Instead of answering, Ressler took another drink of water, but the tinge of red rising up his neck as he drank told Samar all she needed to know.

The end.