Chapter Text
“Hi, Someone,” his voice boomed, a bit much maybe, but it honestly wasn’t his intention to sound as loud, a little maybe. He actually felt sorry as he watched the figure jumped and a gasp was heard, sounding almost like a hiccup.
The figure turned around to face him and she took off the hand that was holding the fridge door and the swooshing of it closing was the only sound between them. He took in the identity of the woman standing in front of him and was suddenly quite confused. But then again, nothing that Hayes does, in all sense of the word, including the woman who stood before him, ever warrant any liberty from the sanctuary of confusion. He should know by now.
“Someone?” She lifted an eyebrow and eyed him questioningly, as if offended he didn’t know her name. Well, he didn’t. He suddenly felt a little embarrassed by that fact but tried to hide it.
He took a step towards her, trying to make a dominant statement with his presence. He straightened his immaculate suit, extended his right hand for a handshake and announced, “Jackson. Jackson Morrison. I’m Hayes brother.”
“Tess. Tess Larson,” his proffered hand was taken and held in a firm grip as he was mimicked. “And I know who you are.”
Jackson of course had met Tess, their paths had crossed when he’s around the CIU office to visit Hayes, but they’ve never been formally introduced. Actually he’s never been introduced to any of them, but he does know of them, from conversations with Hayes. He’s got everybody’s name, except of course, Tess has always been Tinkerbell, till now. But this has been their own making and Jackson found himself wondering if there’s any significance to it. And he reminded himself, or insignificance even.
Tess had kept his eyes on him as he studied the blond. A blank face staring back at him, not giving anything away, almost defiant except those blue eyes are her betrayer. A slight presence of softness and amusement in the blues catches on to his own cheeky self.
Never would he have thought Tess to be a morning, or well in the afternoon, in this instance, guest in his apartment. Jackson should know, he’s the broom that usually does the cleaning out the door to his own place but as he watched the annoyance creeping up Tess’s face as Jackson studied her, maybe he could understand a bit on Hayes’s choice.
Tinkerbell was after all a real feisty fairy and Ms Larson here could very well be a reincarnate, she certainly look as if she have the makings for it.
“Coffee?” Jackson offered, more than intrigued to know Tess better. What better way than over a traditional cup of coffee, “Or tea?”
Jackson noticed the slight hesitation on Tess’s movements, her eyes flickering over towards the direction of Hayes’s bedroom door. Knowing his little sister, it might be a while yet before they’re graced with her presence.
Tess as though thinking the same thing, suddenly relaxed and threw him a smile, “Sure, coffee will be nice please, Jackson.”
She moved towards one the stool on the kitchen island and made herself comfortable as Jackson returned the smile, dropping off his stance altogether. No point in putting on that act, he is after all safe in his own apartment, away from the public eye and he’ll save all that for work later, at another campaign event.
Anyway, he’s finding himself liking Tess. There is something about the open honesty in her movements and expressions that he found refreshing. Unlike the calculated moves, stoic expressions and fake smiles that he encountered every day in his world, one that he wore himself, it’s all so tiring and wearying, he wondered what Tess’s world is like up close and personal.
Jackson fetched a small jug of milk from the fridge, a sugar dispenser and placed them in front of Tess, simply watching him pottering around; arms crossed in front of her, resting on the marble top of the kitchen island, her eyes darting around the penthouse, taking in the details.
“Great place you’ve got here, Jackson.” He heard her as he was setting the espresso machine to dispense their coffee. He turned to face her while waiting to find Tess‘s eyes telling a story of childlike awe. There was tint of innocence and naiveté in them that made her looked very young and he couldn’t help wondering if she really was of legal age.
The machine beeped behind him and he brought the mugs over to Tess was, setting one down in front of her. He waved a hand over the mugs as an indication for Tess to help herself and Jackson got a thank you smile in reply.
He scanned the apartment, “Thank you. Home for me and Hayes, our own little safe haven. It does the job.” Jackson settled himself across from Tess in the kitchen island and infiltrated the black liquid in front of him with a dash of white. “So, how long have you been hooking up with Hayes?”
Jackson decided to be direct with his question and noted how Tess hardly reacted physically, apart from the eyes that are nearly telling him that it is none of his business.
“Well, it’s just that Hayes mentioned meeting someone, so I’m just wondering if that someone is now no one or in fact I have the pleasure of offering you a biscuit.” That was met with a dry chuckle from Tess and she seemed to ponder over it.
“You get through a lot of biscuits?”
“Honestly?” He looked at Tess in the eye and continued when he got a slight shrug and nod, “Still a full pack of beans and biscuits.” Another small laugh.
“I should feel special I got to the coffee stage then.” She winked at him and Jackson gave her a grin and watched as Tess took another sip off her mug. “And it is great coffee.” Tess laughed then, “Might hold off on the snacks though.”
Just a simple sentence but Jackson recognised and understood the depth of it but he wasn’t about to let it go. There is just something about Tess.
“What about you? What would have been your intentions with Hayes?” Another direct question. Old school maybe, but he’s just simply curious. For all he knows, this could just be a fantasy hook up for Tess. Not that Jackson for a second ever thought that was the case but he’s wise enough to look past those blue eyes and practise his cynicism.
“Really? You’re seriously asking me that?” Tess scoffed, and Jackson simply shrugged. Tess shook her head in disbelief, “Well, honestly, I think that’s a question better posed to Hayes. What are her intentions with me? You met your sister?”
Jackson burst out laughing. His full deep bellow of laughter rising up, filling up the kitchen. He watched Tess as he does so and her face contorting in amusement at his eruption and he felt good. He can’t remember the last time he laughed as such.
“Touché, but point well taken.” He received a grin from Tess, and it was hard not to be infected, so he grinned back.
“You guys are having fun from the sounds of it.” Jackson tilted his head towards the voice as so did Tess.
Hayes made her way over to them, and Jackson noticed how very relaxed she looked, a sight he hadn’t seen in a long while. Must have been a very good night, and morning, maybe. He looked over at Tess who seemed to be distracted by the sight of his sister.
Face slightly made up and fresh looking, her usual loose curls brushed tightly back and tied into a ponytail. Hayes was dressed in her casuals of jeans and a shirt and was bare footed. Well, it is a Saturday, and he knew the CIU team had wrapped up another case successfully. It was all over the news yesterday evening as they covered the scenes outside the women’s facility as the crowds cheered Porscha Williams’ release.
He had watched the news with his parents in their campaign headquarters and how he watched them beaming with pride as the media credited another success to Hayes. Well, beaming is an exaggeration but when it comes to them concerning Hayes, it was as good as.
Hayes stood beside Tess, slipped an arm around the blonde’s waist and placed a peck on Tess’s cheek with a barely audible, “Hi.”
Jackson couldn’t help but feel almost like a third wheeler as the scene unfolded in front of him. The two girls looked almost domesticated and he definitely hadn’t seen Hayes in such a role. He knew Hayes and Wallace have had something good going on in Chicago, even Naomi before, and he had wondered with the two being back if there was any chance of any rekindling happening.
He had seen his little sister interacting with Wallace at their mother’s organised events since Hayes headed the CIU and he had thought of the high possibility, but now watching Tess and Hayes in front of him, he wasn’t too sure and he supposed the Amazonian legs of a stunner is still in the running as well.
Jackson had a mental image of the three stood next to each other and at first glance Tess is definitely the odd one out but he knew better and that doesn’t mean it is a bad thing at all. He knew who he’s rooting for, one that could do a whole lot of good for Hayes. But hey, who knows what goes on that head of hers.
“So, am I allowed to crash the party or is this more of a tête-à-tête?” Hayes asked grinning, but her eyes, flicking between Jackson and Tess were nothing short of suspicious.
“That’s alright, we were just finished with the topic of Hayes and now about to move on,” Jackson said jokingly at which Hayes just nodded to and Tess simply smiled at the two of them. “I suppose congratulations are in order for another success story.”
Hayes shrugged and left Tess’s side to make a move towards the coffee machine, while Tess pondered for a bit before commenting, “Sure, another lesson in ‘all are equal, some are more equal than others’ after the Debra Porter case? And Hayes leading the charge? Food for thought, Mr Jackson?”
Jackson liked the fact Tess attached the Mr in front of his name, rather than using Morrison. He chose to take it as a personal recognition for him as his own man and not to his privileges as a Former First Son. He heard a groan from Hayes behind him and he erupted in laughter again. “Well, well. A George Orwell paradox and a Morrison irony. Very clever, Tess,” he quipped once his laughter subsided. “What do you think, Hayes?”
“Don’t you encourage her,” Hayes protested, making her way back with a mug of coffee. Hayes stood in front of the grinning Tess, rolled her eyes and added, “Ouch. Quite true, but still an ouch. Low blow and I think I might have just been reduced to a cliché but is it weird I find it quite sexy?”
Jackson watched as Hayes placed her mug down and moved closer towards Tess, inching her face towards the still grinning Tess.
Jackson not really wanting a preview of what goes on behind the doors of Hayes’s bedroom voiced, “Now Hayes, lets maintain decorum and respect in front of a gentleman, shall we?”
Tess laughed and placed her hands on Hayes’s shoulders to push his sister gently away, while Hayes simply turned to face him, smirking, while her eyes were glinting with mischief.
He shook his head in mock disapproval at Hayes but he was warmed by the genuine smile on his sister’s face. Hayes then straightened up and moved towards the kitchen cupboards.
“I’m hungry,” Hayes announced as she opened and closed the doors to each cupboard. “You hungry, Tess? Will we get something in?”
“I kind of am.”
“I bet you are, if your appetite has been as worked up as mine,” Hayes said, her tone dripping suggestively with meaning. Hayes came back over; grinning and her hands armed with a few packs of snacks. Hayes dropped everything on the marble top of the kitchen island and placed a pack specifically in front of Tess. “These will have to do for the moment, they’re my favourites. I’ll go get the menu.”
Jackson watched Tess as Hayes moved back to the drawer behind him where they kept a few selected menus. Tess’s eyes had widened as she looked down to the long packet of biscuit in front of her and he saw a flash of panic passing through those eyes, but it was gone very quickly and easily missed, but he saw it.
She looked up at him and threw an almost nervous smile. “Hey, Jackson?” Her voice was small reaching out to him and Jackson knew that was the moment he might have gone from being Hayes’s brother to being Tess’s friend.
“Yes, Tess?” Jackson really doesn’t know what to make of it. He was quite amused by the coincidence but he had a feeling Tess was thinking otherwise.
“This doesn’t count, does it?”
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