Authors note
Sorry for late update, I had a bit of writers block. I promise I will update again soon.
Disclaimer
I don't own any of these characters or The good wife. They belong to the beautiful writers Michelle and Robert King.
He was sitting here at a hotel bar drinking alone. Alicia wasn't here yet, he was debating whether or not to call her and see what was holding her up. As he looked around to see if she had arrived yet a blonde woman caught his eye, she smiled at him seductively and waved. Will smiled back politely but then looked down at his drink, he didn't want her thinking he was interested when he was actually waiting for Alicia. Just as he thought her name he saw her walk through the door. Alicia looked around for a moment until she spotted him; he waved for her to join him. She smiled and as she walked over he let his eyes roam up and down her body. She wasn't wearing the same clothes as earlier; she had changed into something a little shorter and tighter, still professional but sexy. Now he was feeling under dressed, he had stayed in his work clothes to make it look like he wasn't trying too hard.
"Hey I'm sorry I'm late, I caught up in-in something" she told him while she took a seat next to him. He tried to ignore the fact that she looked flustered and distracted, but he just couldn't, he had to ask.
"No it's fine. Is everything okay? You look a bit upset." He touched her arm to display his concern
"Yes don't worry, I just had an argument with-" she stooped suddenly and looked at him like she was just releasing who she was talking to. She shook her head and smiled "it doesn't matter; I just want something to drink." She laughed in awkwardness in he smiled.
He pushed a drink towards her that he ordered while he was waiting. "Here, tequila's your favourite isn't it?" He asked knowing full well it was. His mind was preoccupied with ideas of who she was arguing with, and for what reason. If it was Cary, they would've been arguing over the firm. If it was Peter, they would've been arguing about their relationship, or maybe about the fact that Alicia was going out with him tonight. Although he doubts that Alicia would tell Peter that she was here with him tonight.
"Yeah it is, you remembered!" She smiled and downed the shot. How could he forget? Every time they were together at his house she would bring a bottle of tequila, until he caught on and started to stock his house with them for her. "Oh god, it feels so good to just sit and drink and unwind. Things have been so hectic lately" she bit into her lime and sucked on it.
"The glamorous life of a name partner! Get used to it, this goes on for about another ten years." He raised his glass in a sarcastic toast "here's to partnership and no sleep." She laughed and rolled her eyes at him, but she still raised her newly poured drink and touched it to his own before drinking it.
"I don't know how you coped with it for so long. I mean it hasn't even been half a year yet and I'm already going insane." She said in a serious tone.
Will made an attempt to lighten the mood "yes see, the point is to drink past the insanity and suicidal thoughts and just enjoy yourself." Lame as his joke was she still smiled at his effort. "Come on it can't be that bad, your firms the new and shiny thing. Everybody wants a piece of the action."
"That's the problem with new things, eventually they get old" she was turning sombre on him again. Maybe it's best to just stop trying to cheer her up; she probably wanted someone to talk to about all the depressing things in her life. Maybe that's the only reason she invited him here, to talk about trivial things."Do you think that we can make it up to the people we hurt? Or will they just hold a grudge forever?" She was looking at him with sad eyes waiting for an answer.
He was about eighty percent sure she was talking about them. But he wasn't sure when she said that thing about holding a grudge, had he been that obvious with the little bit of anger he still had for her? No he wasn't. He had hid it very well, he hasn't even yelled at her besides that night at her apartment and court. He was just starting to wonder about who else she could be taking about when she answered his unspoken question for him.
"You're still mad at me aren't you?" He didn't answer he just stared straight into her eyes, so she continued. "I don't blame you. I actually thought you would tell me to go to hell when I asked about tonight. That's why I was so relieved when you said yes, so we could actually talk about things and I could apologise." She paused for a minutes before saying "I'm sorry will, I never wanted to hurt you. I just thought that distancing myself from you would make it easier for us both to move on. Although that plan pretty much backfired." She finished and looked down nervous about his upcoming response.
He finally replied "I don't understand Alicia. You say you did all this just to create distance between us, and now you're here telling me you're sorry you did it in the first place." He was very confused about what she wanted out of him tonight. So he just decided to ask. "Alicia I don't have to tell you that given the chance we'll just dance around each other all night, so if you don't mind could you tell me why we're here?"
"Were here because I don't want you to hate me for the rest of our lives, I want to be friends." She placed her hand on his, and gave him the sweetest smile that made him forget how to breathe for a second. "I also want to talk about something else with you but not here. Are you hungry?" She asked removing her hand from his and getting up.
The fact that she was already standing and ready to leave didn't give him much choice, but it's not like he was going to insist on making her stay in this crowded bar. Whatever she wanted to talk about she obviously wanted privacy. He wonders why they just didn't go to somewhere private in the first place instead of a public bar. That's when it occurs to him that she probably planned this night out, to see if it would go well in the bar and then go to a private place. After all, Alicia did love plans. "I'm starving" he got up and they walked out together onto the street.
The cold air blew and made him wrap his coat around himself tighter. He looked at Alicia and saw her shivering; she hadn't brought a coat and was obviously cold. "You know you can catch pneumonia like that" he told her while taking of his coat and offering it to her.
She shook her head "no then you'll be cold, I'm fine." Ignoring her protest he reached out and wrapped the coat around her shoulders. She didn't make a move to put it properly, probably about to try and give it back to him.
"Alicia just take it, beside I have a jacket on. You have nothing." She surrendered and put the coat on and wrapped it around her body. "So where do you want to go to eat? I know a couple of good places."
"Um actually, I was thinking we could just go to my place. I have pizzas there we could warm up, it's not five star cuisine but it'll do. Beside my apartments only a couple of blocks away, we could walk if you want." She stared to walk backwards, the direction of her apartment her supposed, waiting for him to follow.
He was shocked by her invitation to come to her apartment. He thought they would go to a quite diner with not many people, not her place. That was more than private, that was intimate. He caught up to her and they began to walk to her apartment. They walked mostly the whole way without talking, sometimes they would talk a little about the case they had against each other, but nothing important. Twenty minutes later they reached Alicia's apartment. Thankfully the elevator was empty on the ride up; he didn't want to make the ride any more awkward with a stranger. As they entered her apartment Alicia flicked some lights on and put his coat down, she motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen.
"The finest pizzas Chicago has to offer" she joked while pulling the left over pizza boxes out of the fridge to warm up. "Um, I'll be right back, wines up there." She pointed to the top cupboard then walked off in the direction of her bed room. While she was gone he pulled out some plates and heated up the pizza for them in the microwave. He poured them both a glass of red wine, red was Alicia's favourite.
As he waited for her to come back he sipped on his wine and tried to process what was happening. Half an hour ago he was sitting at a bar with Alicia and now he was standing in the middle of her kitchen. He was trying not to be nervous, but his mind kept going over possibilities of what she wanted to talk about. The obvious one would be their relationship, but he didn't want to jump to conclusion and be disappointed later. He took a bite of his pizza and Alicia came back into the room, she took her food and drink and walked into the lounge room silently. He followed and sat down on the couch next to her, placing his plate with hers on the coffee table.
She folded one leg under her and turned on the couch to face him. He saw her withdraw an unsteady breathe as she prepared to start talking. "You never gave me answer will" seeing his confusion she added "back at the bar I asked if you were still mad at me. Are you?"
"Yes" he didn't want to lie to her. If she was being honest tonight he would be to. "You really screwed things up for me at the firm Alicia. I never thought you would do that, and you hurt me deeply. But I'm working on it. I can't say that I've completely forgiven you, but being here with you and seeing you try like this, it's certainly helping." He took her hand and gave her a soft smile.
She looked like she was fighting of tears when she spoke "you know why I left the firm, but I didn't tell you why I wanted to go somewhere private." Here we go he said in his head, she was finally telling him. "Ever since I left the firm I've tried so hard not to think about you, to forget everything that happened so we could both move on. I didn't just leave so Peter and I could have a proper marriage; I left so you could have a chance at finding someone to. I know I've always interfered with your other relationships, weather I wanted to or not it, they always caught on. I'm sorry if tonight is pointless because you actually did move on, am I too late?"
It took him a minute to actually register what she was asking him. She wanted to know if he was available, she wanted to be with him. Wills first instinct was to yell out 'hell no, you're not too late' and kiss her, but he restrained himself. He needed to know if she was serious about this before he told her what he felt. First of all what was going on with her and Peter? He wasn't about to be in the middle of their married again, he needed to know where they stood.
"Alicia, it's not fair to ask me that without telling me what's going on between you and Peter. I need to know everything, before I make a decision. You need to be honest with me right now." He let go of her hand and folded his in his lap. She obviously wasn't expecting that answer. She probably thought after following her back here, he would jump at any chance to rekindle their relationship.
"Your right, I'm sorry. Um, it's always been so complicated with me and Peter, but it's actually not this time." She laughed and he wasn't sure if he should join in or not. "Peter noticed that I was so distracted with everything going on, he thought it was just about the firm but eventually he got suspicious. He asked me if you had anything to do with the fact that I kept rescheduling our trip to Hawaii, and that's when I realised that he was actually right. I was so preoccupied with the firm and forgetting about you that I didn't realise I was pushing Peter away. It just didn't feel right to be with him anymore, it felt weird even sleeping in the same bed with him again. And when he asked about you, I don't why but I just told him that I wasn't over you. This was two weeks ago, and ever since then I've been trying to figure out a way to tell you all of this. I've missed you so much. I was stupid in thinking I could force Peter and I to be happy and in love again. I'll always love Peter though, I have a family with him, but he's not the one that owns my heart anymore. You've had it for a while now, I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out. I'm ready to take a shot with you now. I wasn't before, I was to scared and oblivious, but I know that I want you know. Is there still a chance you want me too?"
That was by far the cheesiest things he has ever heard her say. He felt so happy in this moment, words could not describe it. His thoughts were so jumbled right now that he doubted he could've beat her speech, so instead of talking he just leant in and kissed her. He felt her smile into the kiss and wrap her arms around him. Will sighed into her mouth, still shell shocked by her words. He was in complete bliss, kissing Alicia tasted better than anything, it also wiped his thoughts clean so that he could focus on nothing but her. This was better than he could've ever dreamed, Alicia was openly admitting that she wanted to be with him a hundred percent, she put all thoughts of her changing her mind and running to Peter to rest, and yet he still needed to hear something from her. He knew I love you was a very difficult thing for Alicia to say. But if she wanted him to trust her again, she would have to.
He broke the kiss and rested his forehead on hers like he'd done in the car that night. He looked into her eyes "I love you Alicia" he whispered to her. She just stared back. If she said it he would stay, if she couldn't he would leave.
They sat there for about five minutes, he was just about to extract himself from her grasp when she jumped on him and feverishly pressed her lips to his. She kissed him passionately and mumbled against his lips "I love you too".
That was all the reassurance he needed, to know that she was serious about this. Without another word he stood and holding her hands led her to the bedroom.