This is heaven in hiding

chapter 12

It's been another long, long week.

Chaeyoung has been bogged down with cases that she has no chance of winning. All the evidence pointing to her clients, and nothing to help them. The only thing she's been able to do is negotiate fair plea deals and advise them to sign on the dotted line.It's wearing her thin. The stress of it all, the same slog every single day. It's not what it once was.It's not the same.

She is somehow busier than she's ever been, nothing slowing down at all and the staffing of the department is all the same. And now she has to start serious prep for a trial that's coming up faster than she is ready for.

She's miserable. And finally ready to admit it.

She's been miserable for a long, long time.

On top of all of that, Jisoo has been a ghost.

Chaeyoung hasn't seen her in that same stretch of time, not since their last quick conversation in the courthouse after Chaeyoung literally ran into her. She hasn't even stopped by the regular bar after work for a quick drink and a quick flirt.

It's... unusual.

Murphy has enjoyed Chaeyoung's company though, and the money he's won off her in pool because Chaeyoung is too distracted by glancing at the door every few minutes to strategize.

At least he's nice and pays for dinner and their drinks one night.

Jennie has been in too much of her own grump to call Chaeyoung out on hers, which is a welcome reprieve.

Raven has noticed, but they've been able to shift the topic away from Jisoo and back to her struggles at work more often than not, devoting a whole Jisoo-less evening to take out and sweats and a bottle of wine so Raven could unload.

And even though she's been more social than she has in the past month or so, Chaeyoung's mood is still terrible. There's too much work, too much shit, too much everything going on and she just wants to scream.

Jisoo hasn't even really texted.

Chaeyoung stopped trying after the last invitation to come over and work out some stress was met with another I can't. Swamped.

It's eating away at Chaeyoung, the frustration of it all, the pent up energy. She craves skin, sweat, open mouths and heavy breathing.

Something is bothering her, itching at her skin.

And so she finds herself on a Friday night deep cleaning her apartment, music blasting and old ratty clothes on. Because if she can't fuck away all of this, like she really, really needs to, then she sure is hell can beat it back with bleach and elbow grease.

She spends the time working out a thought pattern that should be clear from the evidence she reviewed all day, but the dots aren't connecting the way they need to. The cleaning works, gets her brain preoccupied with something else so the process can work itself out in the background.

The only thing that pulls her out of her zone is a loud knock on the door.

Probably the neighbors asking her to turn the music down, which she does before she answers with a fake-sweet grin on her face.

Swinging her door wide to find Jisoo on the other side. Her grin falters.

Dressed casually in a relaxed henley and jeans under a leather jacket. A bottle of wine in one hand and a bag of takeout in the other.

"Hi." She shrugs, a small smile flitting across her features but not staying.

"Hey," Chaeyoung offers but doesn't move. Still annoyed and angry at being brushed aside.