✔ The Pursuit of Happiness? {Jackson Wang ff} ✔

do you need me?

(A/N: oof I'll have to skip past some court and legal parts because I seem to have less Suits knowledge than I thought TwT. also, I have nothing against people who are LGBTQTIAP+ because, in my eyes, we all juss some potatoes tryna get on in the world. also, NOTHING SPICY HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER but Sae ik you always have your peri-peri sauce ready, so-)

4 weeks later...

"So!" Lihua exhales, "final review meeting!"

"Wow, 4 weeks have gone so fast..." Jackson muses out loud, "Where's Chunhua?"

"She had to withdraw from the court case since the secretary had a nervous breakdown!"

"The one that needed urgent help?"

"No, funnily enough: it was the secretary's secretary..."

"At least you know they have their colleague management under control!" Jackson chuckles.

Over the past few weeks, Jackson has been able to escape for a few hours at a time and catch up on lost time with Lihua. Although he can't admit it, he is slowly falling for her, but he just can't tell if she is falling for him. Even at the audition, he found himself trying to decode what she felt during their conversation. Little does Jackson know that Lihua is still trying to decide how she feels...

le time skip ~ end of the court case (cos I'm lazy U-U)

"Lihua Zhang, you are the most amazing lawyer the world has ever laid eyes on you know that?!" Jackson exclaims once the duo made it out of the courtroom, enveloping Lihua in a hug,

"U-um, thanks. I guess I knew what I was fighting for and just...went for it?" Lihua replies humbly, muffled by Jackson's sudden caress,

"Damn right you did! I'm so proud of you, Li!"

Lihua is at a loss for words when she finds herself hugging Jackson back. She can't deny how close they've gotten over the past few weeks, but her heart is saying one thing and her brain the other.

It's always been like that. Never her heart or her passions or her desires leading her, always her logic and reasoning. Maybe she can let it go, just for today. She wants to enjoy one of the successes of her career for once.

"Why don't we go out and celebrate?"

"Really? Lihua Zhang wants to go out and celebrate?"

"Forget it...dumb idea anyway-"

"No, I like it. Let's go celebrate!" I like you more, Jackson mentally adds.

{jackson pov}

"...and Mark...he....."

"Go on, Jackson, spit it out!" Lihua persists.

I really didn't want to tell her about my gay panics with Mark, but the conversation just happened to steer that way. I'm about to tell her about the time we were doing an interview, and I noticed my lips were suspiciously dry. I was licking my lips when I happened to look up and he...