Pornstar (mxm)

Chapter 9

Throughout the afternoon, Warren couldn't stop berating himself for the way he had acted. Why did he always mess it up with people? Why couldn't he just keep his trap shut for once? Mister Tanner had proven to be such a nice guy, and even offered to help him out with Jack! That was more than anyone else had ever done for Warren, and how did he repay that friendship? He criticized his job - a job that also paid for Warren's life, no less. Why did he always have to be so upset about unfairness?

Since Tanner didn't request any further help from Warren that day, Warren spent the entire afternoon going through the Hemingway case files that Tanner had left on his desk so Warren would put them away. He had never been interested in a case before, because seriously, who was interested in law stuff?
Oddly enough, he felt himself quite intrigued, and was surprised to discover that he actually understood a lot of what those files said. Apparently, he had picked up more than he had thought over the past few years.

"Hey Warren, you're still here?" mister Schäfer interrupted Warren's reading as he exited his office.

"Oh, good evening, mister Schäfer." He nodded, glancing at the clock that indicated 7:42pm. Usually Warren left at around 5 or 6 if mister Tanner didn't ask him to stay longer, but today he had completely forgotten the time.

"Tristan has you working late again, huh?" Schäfer gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't exert yourself."

Warren nodded again, giving the older man a polite smile. "Yes, sir."

"Goodnight." Schäfer gave him another kind smile as he entered the elevator which closed shortly after Warren wished him a goodnight as well.

Should Warren go home? And if so, should he say goodnight to mister Tanner? Usually, if Tanner had given him nothing to do, he would have asked by now and then gone home if there was nothing else for the day, but... Today had been such a strange day. Starting with the humiliating porn video incident, to making almost friends with Tanner in the copy room, having lunch with him... arguing with him... Usually Warren's days weren't that eventful. Despite the fact that he had barely done any actual work, so much had happened. And all that now led to him being uncertain on what terms he was with Tanner - was the man upset with him? Should he just go home? Ask if he needed anything and then go home? Or... not go home yet and keep reading over the files?

After a few more moments of consideration, Warren decided on the latter for a number of reasons, the first one being that he didn't dare leave without telling Tanner that he was going but he also didn't want to talk to him to tell him he was leaving, and the second reason being that he was genuinely interested in the Hemingway case. Maybe this whole law thing wasn't as boring as he had always anticipated?

~*~

Every once in a while, Tristan glanced up at the clock hanging above the door. It was nearly 9pm and he was exhausted, despite barely haven gotten any work done. Not to mention upset that Warren had left today without saying a single word; he usually never just left. Of course not, he was his assistant and wasn't supposed to simply leave if Tristan might still need him. That wasn't why it bothered him, obviously - it bothered him because it meant Warren was upset, and that was... upsetting.

He hadn't called Jack's porn company like he had promised Warren, and generally not gotten much done all day, despite having so much to do. But today had been a huge deal regarding everything Warren, so his mind was occupied with more important things than winning prestigious cases. Like Warren's romantic problems.
Tristan rolled his eyes at himself. He was more professional than this.
Or not...

With a heavy sigh, he decided to call it a day, despite it still being so early. There was no point in staying at the office if he wasn't going to get any work done; he could mope around and think about Warren at home as well.