A/N: Set after 5x05, probably around 5x10.
"You stole one of our clients again. How dare you think we'll just stand by and let it happen. We'll fucking destroy you."
"Oh, which client?" Alicia replies, bored, like she didn't even hear the rest of his words. "It's so hard to keep track these days."
"Don't play coy with me, Alicia. It doesn't suit you. I always knew you were opportunistic but I didn't know you were that cunning."
"Oh my god, Will, do you ever sit back and listen to how pathetic you sound. This is business. Look at Diane, she's not taking it nearly as personally as you are. This is just the way things go."
"Not with us. Not– not with you!"
"You just never saw me as an equal, did you? Well, boho, get over it. Get over me."
He shakes his head. "This is not the Alicia I know."
"Well," she sighs dramatically. "This is exactly the Will that I know. And you're making it quite clear to everyone who will listen how much I'm getting under your skin. It's actually quite amusing to watch."
"You're not getting under my skin, you never have and you never will." he spits back, like he's disgusted by the very thought.
"Good," she replies coldly. "I never loved you anyway."
The way Alicia says it, so matter of fact, devoid of any emotion, her face a blank canvas, cuts him deeply. She'd never openly told him that she loved him during their time together, but he'd been sure she was feeling it; to hear her state the opposite, not knowing what's a lie and what's the truth, takes his breath away as they hit a new low.
"Perfect," he rasps, breathing in harshly as his whole world zeros in on the hatred he's feeling for Alicia at that very moment. She didn't just betray and blindside him, she took his love for her and turned it into hate. She's gotten under his skin, the very thing he just told her that she wasn't capable of and he's too livid to back down now without at least taking her down with him. "I've always just pitied you anyway." Alicia's façade crumbles, finally, and he can't help himself, he has to up the ante. "You were never that good in bed to begin with. No wonder Peter cheated on you."
That does it. A cry of anguish bursts from her lips and her hand comes up to press against her chest as she backs away from him like a wounded animal. The back of her legs hit her desk and she doubles over, unable to keep on the mask she so carefully crafted over the last few months. She can feel Will hovering, his eyes taking her in as she's weak in front of him with what she imagines must be satisfaction. If this is how badly she hurt Will, she has no ground to stand on.
"Are we equal now?" she whispers brokenly, wet lashes smearing mascara onto her eyelids as she looks up.
"Yes," Will replies solemnly. "I can't keep doing this. Steal our clients, badmouth us to other clients, I don't care. We'll beat you in court anyway. But I'm done here."
He turns to leave but pivots at the last second. With his outstretched hand, he gently wipes away Alicia's tears. His action is a stark contradiction to what just transpired between them and the harsh words they've said and can never take back, but seeing Alicia cry was never a sight he could stand.
