An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Tess says sympathetically, offering Hayes a faint smile. “I’m sure the food will be good, at least.”
“Yeah, it…” Hayes pauses, heart fluttering. “Come with me.”
Tess blinks, surprise making her draw back slightly. “What?”
Now that she’s said the words, Hayes can’t help but grin, nodding. Duh. Of course. She’s a genius. “Yes. Come with me. To dinner.”
Sometimes you just gotta write some fluff to make it through the holidays I guess.
Also there are very mild insinuations of homophobia. And I based the briefly mentioned case on a real case that I have a lot of feelings about so...
Even ten years after the crime, Marie Hamilton isn't keen to talk to them. They're barely able to tell her that they're looking into the conviction of Morris Wilson before she's shooing them out of the apartment and practically slamming the door in their faces. Tess can see that Hayes is ruffled, no doubt because one of their only connections to the victim has quickly proven to be a dead-end. Catherine Jennings doesn't have any living family, just a girlfriend who slept through her murder even though it took place in the foyer of their apartment building.
Tess thinks Marie's reluctance to talk is pretty understandable. It's not the sort of thing you just easily get over.
Hayes frowns, slipping her hands into the pockets of her immaculate pea-coat. The weather is finally cold enough to justify it but even if it wasn't Tess thinks Hayes would be wearing it just because it looks so damn good on her. And Hayes knows it, which is why Tess hasn't said anything.
"I don't get it," Hayes mutters with a shake of her head as they start down the sidewalk in the direction of the DA's office. Marie's apartment is close, only a few blocks away and they'd walked to avoid the traffic and having to deal with getting a cab. "You think she'd want to offer her opinions on why Wilson should stay in jail."
Tess can only shrug, brushing a lock of hair away from her face with a gloved hand when the wind pushes it across her forehead. "Obviously she's still pretty traumatized by the whole thing," she offers. "Reports mentioned that she was reluctant to talk to the police the first time around. They accused her of the murder; she was their first suspect."
"Well, cops can be idiots sometimes," Hayes says breezily as though it all boils down to that simple fact. "We could have really used her insight."
"She didn't see anything," Tess reminds her, even though she doubts that Hayes needs help remembering the details of the case file. "And evidence points toward Morris anyway; the conviction is strong."
They both know this. They're only looking into it because Wallace had dropped the file onto Hayes' desk about a month ago, when they'd still been doing their mating dance. Now Hayes seems to have shut him out completely, no doubt looking into the case now purely out of spite. The case is strong, Morris all but confessed to the ten-year-old murder. In all honesty, Tess finds the case appalling and reading the details had made her queasy, putting an ache in her chest. She's eager for these five days to come to an end.
Hayes still doesn't seem convinced, a furrow between her brow as she works to puzzle out the mysteries of human behaviors. "She seemed almost afraid to talk to us," she mumbles to herself, as though thinking aloud. "I wonder if there's something in there worth following up on…"
"I think she still feels threatened by investigators," Tess interrupts, reaching up to tame her twisting hair once more before giving up. It's still a few blocks to the office, she might as well let the wind win for now. "You read the transcripts of the interviews; they weren't exactly kind. They all be insinuated that Marie killed Catherine because she was a jealous lesbian."
Hayes makes a face, a sneer really, all but bearing her teeth at the idea. "Like I said," she says sharply, "idiots."
Tess figures the conversation is over as they both lapse into silence. The comfortable kind, the sort she isn't used to sharing with many people. The team seems content with sharing the quiet, letting their thoughts -her thoughts- germinate and take root. It's comforting and it makes her enjoy Hayes' presence even more. Not that she thinks there's been a time she didn't enjoy being around her, quietly by her side, happy to stay in the eye of Hurricane Hayes.
But then Hayes speaks, continuing where she'd previously left off, "I mean it was only ten years ago. I know we've come a long way in that time but still." She shrugs. "It wasn't exactly the 1960s."
"Some people find it difficult to get rid of their prejudices," Tess says matter-of-factly. "It's why I never said anything to my mother."
Tess is pretty sure that she can hear the vertebra in Hayes' neck snap due to how quickly she jerks her head in Tess's direct. She manages to hide her smile, somehow schooling her face into an expression of nonchalance. Hayes stares at her with the confidence of someone used to being blunt and brash in their every moment. Finally she lifts an eyebrow. "You, Tinkerbell?" At least now Hayes looks amused as well as surprised. "You…"
"Like girls?" Tess supplies for her, finally reaching up to push her hair out of her face. She's impressed by her own disinterest. She's equally impressed by the challenging look that she manages to give Hayes. "Is that all right?"
Hayes scoffs, grinning. "Is everyone on the team gay?" She muses, shaking her head. "Intriguing."
Tess looks down at her feet as they travel the direction toward the office, hiding the pink in her cheeks from Hayes. "Is it?"
"Well, that depends," Hayes says with a shrug.
They're a block from the DA's office, where Tess can find a place to disappear if this conversation goes south and turns embarrassing. It makes her brave enough to look at Hayes again. "On what?"
"On how you feel about getting a drink with me later tonight," Hayes answers effortlessly with a confidence that Tess can only envy. She has her moments, her bursts of inspiration and courage. Most of the time though she feels like she's left gaping at the boldness of others, wishing it were so easy for her to say the things on her mind.
Now is one of those times. Despite the warmth growing in the pit of her stomach, snaking up through her chest and making her heart beat faster, she can only stare at Hayes. "Because-"
Tess isn't sure how to finish that sentence in a way that doesn't make her sound embarrassingly pathetic and lacking in self-confidence. Mostly because she's not sure how to admit that Hayes that she has no idea what someone like her could see in someone like Tess.
Thankfully Hayes finishes the sentence for her. "Because I know how to seize an opportunity when I see one," she says. "And because I've been hoping for a while now that you might be interested in getting that drink."
They've reached the DA's office and now Tess just feels disappointed; if only they had another block to go, another few steps.
"Think about it," Hayes says, pulling the door open and motioning for Tess to step into the building. She smiles at her, giving her a wink.
Of course Tess takes her up on her offer. It's not exactly a tough decision to make.
Hayes isn't the only one who's been hoping all this time for a sign of shared interest.
What about a Tess x Hayes fic in a world where Peggy Carter existed?
The judge is old, the type of old that probably should have spelled ‘retirement’ a long time ago, though no one has been eager to mention to one of the city’s most infamous men that he should hang up his robes and step down.
He’s staring at them like they’re something he’d like to wipe off the bottom of his shoe and Tess forces herself to remain rigid and still in her seat, trying to imitate Hayes’ posture.
“You look just like her,” Judge Whitehall says as he fixes his eyes on Hayes. Neither of them have to ask who he means. “I couldn’t stand the woman.”
Hayes smiles, all teeth. “She always spoke so highly of you,” she says sweetly.
Tess reaches over, laying a hand on Hayes’ knee. The judge can’t see the gesture, it’s just for them alone. It’s not one of restrain, just a gentle reminder of her presence.
“She was always cavorting around the city, stirring up trouble, sticking her nose in where it wasn’t wanted,” the judge continues. “I can see you take after her.”
“Your Honor,” Tess interrupts when she feels Hayes shift beneath her hand. “If I may: we have probably cause, more than enough evidence and precedent on our side with Hawkings v. McGrath. Are you really going to let you personal history get in the way of due process?”
The judge looks at her, annoyed, like he just remembered she was there. But he gives them what they want anyway, undoubtedly just to get them out of his office.
As soon as they’re in the hallway, Hayes lets out a slow breath between clinched teeth. “What an ass,” she mutters. “Thanks.”
Tess lets her hand rest briefly on the small of Hayes’ back, a fleeting touch that promises her support and more to come later, when the case is solved and they’re alone. “Of course.” They start through the warren of hallways toward the car waiting outside. “You do look like her, you know.”
Hayes looks at her and smirks. “Really? I don’t see it.”
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
“Why did you invite me tonight?”
“Why did you come?” Hayes counters.
The warmth in her chest and the bubbles from the champagne are instilling her with a false confidence, reminding her to be brave. “Because I wanted to spend New Year’s with you,” Tess answers. “Because I thought maybe you weren’t inviting me just as your friend.”
It’s almost New Year’s so let’s celebrate with some Tess x Hayes shall we?! We always should btw.
Can you make a fic about Tess looking for something to give Hayes for Christmas?
So I’m super excited to be getting Tess x Hayes prompts now! I feel like I’ve really made it in the shipper world now that I’m getting anon prompts in my inbox! So cue the obligatory cheesy Christmas fics!
Tess Larson loves Christmas and she figures that tidbit of information would come as a surprise to absolutely no one who knows her. She’s never understood why people pride themselves on being so Scrooge-like during the holidays. It seems to take so much more work to be miserable and what’s there to be miserable about anyway? Who doesn’t like snow and sparkling lights and cheerful songs and holding onto the belief that, for a month at least, everything is going to be merry and bright?
Of course, the CIU isn’t as decorated as Tess feels like it should be thanks to one particular Grinch but there’s a bit of garland around the crime board and Tess has strung lights up in the office she shares with Frankie. There’s a little tree sitting in the conference room and that’ll just have to be enough. For now.
Not that Tess plans on stopping there. Because the best part of Christmas is obviously the gifts. Not getting them, of course, but giving them.
A few mornings ago, Tess had trailed after Hayes as they’d hurried about their morning routines, a hopeful smile on her face. “Hayes, I was thinking wouldn’t it be nice if we did a CIU Secret Santa and-”
Hayes had only looked at her like she’d lost her mind and Tess had gotten the message pretty easily. No Secret Santa.
Which doesn’t really change her plans much. She’s already gotten gifts for Sam and Maxine and she knows exactly what she wants to get Frankie, so Tess isn’t going to let Hayes’ personal feelings deter her from gift giving.
All she has to do now is figure out exactly what to get Hayes. It’s a lot harder than one might think.
They’ve just started a new case and Tess feels guilty for not giving it her full attention but she can’t help it right now. She taps the end of her pen against her pursed lips, furrowing her brow as she thinks. Frankie has lab reports spread out across his desk so it seems like he’s doing enough work for the both of them.
“Frankie,” Tess muses aloud, “what do you think Hayes would like for Christmas?”
Frankie looks up at her, surprised. “Uh…seriously?”
“What?” Tess asks defensively, sitting up straighter in her chair. “She’s our boss. Don’t you think we should get her something?”
She’s only saying ‘we’ to make herself sound less pathetic. But when she finds the perfect gift, Tess fully intends on putting only her name on it.
Frankie makes a face. “Not really,” he says. “Besides she’s rich and spoiled; she’s already got everything.”
This is also a problem that Tess has run into. It’s one of those classic 'what do you get for the woman who has everything’ situations seeing as the woman in question happens to be a glamorous former and current First Daughter. It really makes the adorable coffee mugs Tess was looking at earlier seem like a pathetic gift.
Tess only frowns and goes back to tapping a rhythm with her pen. She doesn’t realize that Frankie is still eyeing her until he says, “You’re really thinking about getting her a present?”
She shrugs defensively. “I feel like I should!” Tess protests weakly. “She’s my boss…”
Frankie looks at her. “What’s the real reason?”
Tess pretends to misunderstand his point. “It’s Christmas.”
“Then you should ask Santa for ideas,” Frankie says. “Though she’s probably been on his naughty list so long that he doesn’t even know who she is.”
Tess makes a face. “She’s not that bad…”
“Who’s on the naughty list?” Hayes pokes her head into the office and both Frankie and Tess jump in surprise. “And where do I sign up?”
Frankie gives Tess a pointed look that she ignores.
“Conference room you two,” Hayes says, tilting her chin in the direction of the room. Her hair slips past her shoulders thanks to this gesture and Tess pretends not to notice. “Maxine’s got something.”
Tess gathers up the work she’s made absolutely zero progress with, leaving Frankie to fend for himself as she hurries after Hayes. Sam is already leaning back in one of the chairs and Maxine is sticking something to the crime board and Tess has to remind herself -not for the first time- that this is more important than mental Christmas shopping.
Hayes steps up to the board, tapping the document that Maxine just put up. “We got the call records for Ethan Jones and-” She stops when the garland that Tess looped across the top of the board falls down, hanging over the papers and photographs. Hayes’ brow furrows. “What the hell is this?”
“It’s garland,” Tess pipes up quickly, smiling.
Hayes looks like she’s debating pulling the whole thing down and throwing it in the garbage.
“You know,” Tess adds hopefully, “for a little bit of Christmas spirit?”
Hayes lifts an eyebrow as she studies her. “I think my heart just grew three sizes,” she deadpans, flicking the garland back onto the top of the board. “Can I go on, Max?” She looks over at Maxine. “I mean like the dog with the stick on its head. Not you, Maxine.”
Maxine looks unimpressed. Tess tries to figure out if she’s gone from Tinkerbell to an innocent, well-intentioned cartoon pooch.
Sam smirks. “I take it you’re not a fan of Christmas?” He shakes his head. “How shocking.”
“I like Christmas,” Hayes says, a bit defensively. “Just not when it gets all over my murder cases.”
Tess can definitely understand Hayes’ perspective about separating holidays and work. But that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t gotten good at multitasking and thinking up potential gift ideas while discussing eyewitness testimonies.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nothing Tess sees in stores or online seems to be right for Hayes Morrison. And not just for the Hayes Morrison that she developed a slightly embarrassingly crush on as a kid but for the Hayes Morrison that she knows and interacts with every day. Nothing seems right for the woman that is her boss and her friend. And, you know, still a bit of a crush.
Jewelry that Tess thinks is fine or pretty looks tacky and ridiculous on her mental images of Hayes. She studies different patterns of scarves, running her fingers along the fabric to test their softness but she feels embarrassed when she thinks about giving one to Hayes and then expecting her to wear it. Any other piece of clothing that she thinks Hayes might like is pretty much out of her price range.
Tess looks at books, carefully reading the backs of the bestsellers and staff recommendations. She looks at cutesy joke gifts or kitschy monogramed keychains and bags and coffee mugs. She looks at paintings and postcards, watches and wallets, hats and handbags. There’s nothing that Tess feels connects to Hayes or what she knows Hayes likes. There’s nothing that makes her feel the way that Hayes makes her feel.
Tess tries not to let herself get down about these failures. Hayes probably doesn’t expect anything so maybe she could just give Frankie and Maxine and Sam their gifts in secret and…
The idea makes her feel pretty terrible.
Though, Tess isn’t planning on getting a gift for Wallace. Maybe the snub can be Hayes’ Christmas present; it seems like the kind of thing she would enjoy.
It’s snowing and Tess can see the fat flakes as they fall past the windows of the conference room and watching them drift out of sight is as good a distraction as any. They’re at an impasse with the case because it looks like the guy actually did it and Tess is at an impasse on the subject of gifts for Hayes and it feels like Christmas is constantly rattling around in her brain all the time and she understands now why people feel a little stressed about the gift buying aspect of the holiday.
It’s supposed to be fun and exciting. Trying to find the perfect thing to give to Hayes is just stressful and there’s a lot of pressure.
Tess sighs and glances over at Maxine. “What does your son want for Christmas?”
Maxine smiles slightly. “He’s twelve so, you know, every expensive video game he can get his hands on.” She shakes her head. “And a new baseball glove. Go figure.”
Sam reshuffles the papers in front of him just for something to do. “I’ve still got a get a tree.” He checks the date on his phone and winces. “Is it really so close to Christmas?”
Hayes wrinkles her nose. “What is it with this office and Christmas?” She grumbles. “Is this your fault, Tinkerbell?”
Tess holds her hands up defensively. At least it’s better than Max.
Frankie smirks. “I thought you said you liked Christmas,” he says and there’s a slightly challenging tone in his teasing words.
Hayes shrugs. “I do,” she says. “I like trees.”
Tess looks at her. “Trees?”
“You know, the big green things you put in your house and they get needles everywhere when you cover them with ornaments?” Hayes smirks. “Trees.”
Tess smiles despite the teasing. “You like decorating them.”
Hayes shakes her head. “No. I like looking at them,” she corrects. “My parents always had people to decorate when my dad was president. They’d bring all these elaborate lights and bows and these huge trees and put everything up. We never did the family decorating thing.”
“So you…” Tess considers her words before she says them. “You’ve never decorated a tree before?”
Hayes shrugs and looks a bit like she’s trying to figure out the big deal. “My parents were always busy when Jackson and I were young and then, you know, White House decorating fairies and after my dad’s terms were up I went to college and had totally different priorities.”
Frankie makes a face. “That’s kinda sad.”
“Well, it’s a wonderful life,” Hayes says breezily. “God bless us everyone.”
Maxine points her pen at Hayes. “Those are two totally different movies.”
Hayes points to her and mimes firing a gun. “Sharp. Now if you can turn those types of skills to these witness statements we’ll have this case solved in no time.”
Tess feels guilty because the sudden sense of elation she feels has nothing to do with a break in the case.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tess just barely has time to brush the needles out of her hair when she hears the front door open and she spins around, nearly tripping over the tangle of Christmas lights at her feet. She’d hoped to get them on but clearly she’s run out of time.
Hayes is standing in the doorway staring at her like she’s worried one of them has completely lost her mind and she can’t figure out who’s gone crazy. Tess smiles tentatively at her. “I…Jackson let me in.”
“Jackson,” Hayes repeats, stepping into the apartment and closing the door. “You know my brother?”
“Well…not well…” Tess admits. “I got his number from Wallace.” Looks like she’s going to have to get him a Christmas present after all.
Hayes offers no comment to do this. Instead, she just drops her bag onto the couch, stepping out of her heels and leaving them in the corner. Tess can’t help but feel like this is a common thing with her; she wonders how often Jackson runs around behind her, cleaning up.
“Okay,” Hayes says. “So you got Jackson to let you into the apartment so you could bring a Christmas tree with you.” She brightens suddenly, snapping her fingers. “You really are one of Santa’s elves, aren’t you? It all makes sense now.”
Tess feels her cheeks go red and she’s certain that Hayes can see her blushing. “Never mind,” she mumbles, more to herself than to Hayes. “I’ll just…” She points toward the door, reaching for her scarf and jacket, draped across the back of the couch.
“Wait.” Hayes holds up a hand and Tess does as she’s been instructed. “Why did you bring me a tree?”
Tess tries to think of another plausible excuse because she suddenly feels like a total idiot. Why did she think this was a good idea? Why did she think this was better than a bracelet or scarf?
“Well…earlier you said you’d never decorated a Christmas tree and I thought you might like one for your apartment and I brought ornaments and…” Tess swallows up the rest of her words. “It was stupid.”
Hayes keeps staring at her and the Christmas tree like she’s never seen anything like the two of them before. “You brought this for me?”
Tess shrugs. “I wanted to get you something for Christmas and nothing seemed right so…Merry Christmas?”
Hayes smiles slightly, the barest hint of a grin that somehow manages to make Tess feel warm and fuzzy anyway. She steps closer, studying the tree and then the woman standing beside it. “Well, since it’s already here I guess it can stay.” Her smile grows a little. “Thank you, Tess. This is…thank you.”
Tess grins in response. “Merry Christmas, Hayes.”
Hayes opens her mouth and then shuts it just as quickly, shaking her head. “You’ll have to stay and help decorate,” she says in a way that manages to sound both like a command and a tentative request. “You know, it’s my first time.” She gives Tess a cheeky smile.
Tess rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “I’d love to,” she says anyway. She can think of worst things than helping Hayes decorate her Christmas tree.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Tess gets to work the following day, she immediately notices the mistletoe hanging above her office door. She’s pretty sure that Frankie isn’t the one who put it there, especially not when they work with someone like Hayes Morrison.
She can’t help but feel a little thrill of excitement. Tess is excited to see where this particular development will lead.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Tess discovers that the only thing worse than seeing her face own face staring back at her from a newspaper article is seeing her aunt's. (established relationship future-fic)
