Work Text:
As you walk into the room with a fresh batch of mediocre coffee in a to-go cup and the vague resentment that always came with forgetting lunch, you notice two things.
One, there’s a Dutton sitting at your desk.
Two, it isn't the one you were expecting.
‘’Mornin’,’’ you say, pausing in the doorway. ‘’What brings you to the madhouse today?’’
‘’I heard there was this pretty lady who was handin’ out free coffee.’’ Lee replied, boots propped comfortably on your desk, grin already in place.
‘’Really, Lee?’’ You lift an eyebrow in a silent spill it.
He quickly removes his feet from the desk and stands, hands raised in surrender. “I just came by to drop off your lunch. The one you forgot this morning. ’Cause you might’ve been busy doing… different activities.” He finished with a wink and a grin that deserved violence.
Heat crawls up your neck. Somewhere behind you, someone audibly gasps. You file that away for later and cross the room, swatting him with the stack of files in your hand.
“Thank you, Lee. Please be gone before I—”
“Before you what—”
‘’I’d hate to finish that sentence out loud,” you warn.
He laughed, grabbing his jacket. ‘’Alright, alright, I get it. Well, guess that’s the last time I do you a favour. Enjoy your day.’’
“Sure it is,” you said. “See you later.”
He tips his head and disappears down the hall.
You haven’t even reached your desk before you heard a soft knock on the door.
‘’Was that Lee Dutton?’’
You sigh. ‘’Why are you surprised?’’
“Honestly, I don’t know,” your coworker says brightly. “But good for you.”
You stare at the door for a moment, unsure what just happened, before deciding to accept whatever strange reality you’re living in. You take another sip of your disappointing coffee and finally sit down, straightening the mess Lee left behind.
It was less than a minute later that the phone rang and simply continued your work day, secretly happy that Lee had been nice enough to drop off your lunch. You’d never tell him that though.
After you hang up, your co-worker slips back into your office and casually perches on the edge of your desk, looking down at you with a grin.
‘’I’d like to circle back to the fact that you are dating Lee Dutton and you haven’t even mentioned it once in the past few months.’’
‘’I think I’m allowed to keep things for myself.’’ you bite back sarcastically, not confirming nor denying her accusation.
‘’You’re way too comfortable with the Dutton men.’’ she says, ‘’Don’t think we haven’t noticed. Do you have any idea what kind of rumors are tied to that name?’’
Tell me about it, you think.
“Last week it was Kayce,” she added. “And I swear Jamie was here too.”
You don’t look up from the papers you’re straightening. ‘’Jamie has ties to this office and you know it, same goes for Lee.’’
‘’That doesn’t explain Kayce.’’
‘’Maybe he likes you.’’
‘’Kayce is married! You know that!’’
‘’Everything can be broken.’’
‘’I can’t believe you just said that.’’
‘’Jamie, then. He’s intense, but I’d jump his bones. He looks like a sad husky. It’s working for him.’’
‘’How about you date him then?’’ you fire back.
Your co-worker raised her eyebrow. ‘’He single?’’
‘’How should I know?’’
Her grin turns sly as she leans forward, lowering her voice. ‘’Oh, I think you know.’’
You shift in your seat, heat creeping back up your neck. ‘’Stop it!’’
Another co-worker, you nicknamed the gossip queen, enters the room. Both of you shut up the second she stepped her foot over the threshold.
‘’Am I missing something?’’
“No,” you say.
“Absolutely,” your coworker says at the same time.
The queen squints. “You’re acting weird. I’m getting coffee.”
‘’You do that, honey,’’ your coworker chirps.
‘’Now, leave me alone.’’
‘’Love you too.’’
The rest of the day passes without incident.
It isn’t until the following Monday morning that everything changes.
And it all comes down to a ring.
‘’You got married?’’
“Yeah,” you say lightly. “I mentioned that earlier, right?” knowing damn well you didn’t tell anyone a damn thing.
“Girl. Apparently you don’t tell us—” she glances down the hall “—shit.”
Only seconds later, Lynelle Perry rounds the corner.
‘’What’s going on?’’
‘’Absolutely nothing.’’ you said at the same time as your co-worker said ‘’She got married.’’
Lynelle looks between the two of you, then clocks the blush creeping up your neck.
‘’Congratulations are in order, I suppose?’’ she gave you a quick-one over, a curious look on her face as to why you would hide such a happy occasion.
‘’Thank you, Lynell.’’ you managed to get out, hoping that the floor would swallow you whole.
‘’You don’t seem too happy about it?’’
“Oh, I am,” you insist. “I just wasn’t prepared for it to get out so fast.’’ you say, throwing a dirty look to your co-worker. Traitor.
‘’I didn’t even know you were dating.’’ Lynell offered, hoping for you to spill the tea.
‘’That makes two of us.’’ her co-worker mutters, but you quickly narrowed your eyes at her hoping that she would shut her mouth. Then her eyes widen. ‘’Wait no, I thought you- are you married to Lee?’’
‘’Dutton?!’’ Lynell echoes, shocked
“Honestly,” you say, “I don’t know how to answer that.”
Lynell laughs. ‘’It’s a yes or no question, honey.’’
All three looked up when they heard a knock on the door. There stood Lee Dutton, grin on his face as if the cat ate the canary.
‘’There you are.’’
“Lee!” Lynelle beams. “Congratulations are in order, I hear.”
“I guess they are?” he says, glancing at you, amused.
‘’Why are you here?’’ you quipped.
‘’And twice in one week, he must really love you.’’ your co-worker adds. You file it away for the next time she decides to tell you something that isn’t supposed to be general knowledge.
‘’Love?’’ he scoffed. ‘’Where did you hear that?’’
As his laughter fills the room, you glance over his shoulder.
John is leaning against a desk, arms crossed, watching you. Waiting.
“What’s so funny?” he asks calmly.
‘’Me,’’ you reply.
‘’What’d you do?’’
‘’Honestly, I rather not to tell you.’’
‘’That bad, huh?’’ you nod your head in agreement. ‘’Alright, let’s get you home.’’
‘’Hold on a second.’’
You move back to your desk, grab your things, and ignore the rapid-fire questions being aimed at Lee. Then you walk straight past him and stop in front of John. Eyes locked.
‘’I think I forgot something.’’
‘’What’s that?’’
You smile, soft and certain.
‘’Hi, husband.’’
You kiss him slowly.
John’s hand settles at your hips, pulling you closer.
“You do realize,” he murmurs, amused, “that you just made quite the statement. I thought you wanted to keep this quiet.”
“You’re mine,” you say simply. “Why would I hide that?”
The office does not recover.
Not immediately. Possibly not ever.
There’s a full three seconds of silence after you pull away from John, the kind so thick it hums. Somewhere down the hall, a printer whirs like it’s trying to mind its own business.
Your coworker blinks. Once. Twice.
“…That’s John Dutton.”
“Yes,” you say, adjusting your bag on your shoulder.
The gossip queen appears in the doorway again, coffee forgotten, eyes wide. “Why is John Dutton holding you like that?”
John, unbothered, tightens his arm around your waist. Possessive without trying. Casual as breathing.
“We’re married,” he says.
The room explodes.
“What do you mean married?”
“Since when?”
“Were you seeing Lee this whole time?!”
Lee, still standing near your desk, lifts his hands. “I don’t understand how I’m the suspect here.’’
“You brought her lunch,” your coworker accuses.
“I bring everyone lunch,” Lee shoots back. “I’m generous!”
“You flirted.”
“I flirt with plants.”
John clears his throat. The room shuts up instantly.
“She’s my wife,” he says evenly.
Your coworker’s mouth opens. Closes. Opens again. “So all this time—”
“All this time,” you nod, “you were wrong.”
The gossip queen looks like she’s going to vibrate out of her skin. “You mean to tell me you’ve been married to him and still come in here every day like a normal person?”
You shrug. “I like the pension.”
Lee exhales. “I am never speaking in this office again.”
John nods once. “Smart.”
Lynelle, who has watched this entire circus with the calm of someone who has survived worse, finally speaks. “Well,” she says, smoothing her jacket, “this explains a great deal.”
“Does it?” your coworker asks weakly.
“No,” Lynelle admits. “But I’m choosing peace.”
You tug John gently toward the door. “We should go before someone asks for a wedding slideshow.”
Too late.
“Was it romantic?” the gossip queen blurts.
John pauses, glances down at you, something warm and unreadable flickering across his face.
“Yes.”
You smile.
Outside the office, John stops you with a hand at your wrist. He leans in slowly, deliberately, like he’s savoring the moment.
The kiss is unhurried.
His mouth fits to yours with the ease of habit, soft at first, then deepening as his thumb traces the edge of your jaw. There’s warmth in it, a quiet claim. Just the kind of kiss that says this is real and this is home all at once.
When he pulls back, his forehead rests against yours.
“You enjoy stirring things up,” he murmurs.
“You married me,” you reply. “This is on you.”
He smiles. The kind he saves for you.
Behind the door, the office loses its collective mind.