#the trial su | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

inafieldofdaisies · 1 year

Text

WIP Weekend | Tagged by @thesingularityseries ❤️

More from John and Sabrina's AU first chapter, where he's acting absolutely normal and acing a phone call.

"Lead the way then, before you freeze." "I'm totally fine, John.", Sabrina glanced back at him as she started walking down the sidewalk, eventually coming to a stop in front of an old Ford Bronco while she searched for her keys. Something about his silence must have made her think he was experiencing a surprise at her choice of vehicle, because she added, "Go on, ask why I'm driving that at my age." "I wasn't going to." "No?" All he could offer was the truth, sensing a certain level of attachment to her vintage ride, "It suits you." "Oh? Should I feel offended?", she parroted his earlier words with a grin as she opened her door first and climbed into the driver seat, then reached over to unlock his as well. "No.", he settled next to her, reveling into her closeness when she pivoted to throw her bag on the backseat of the truck, "It was a compliment." His gaze drifted up to small metal butterfly charm paired with a couple of rainbow beads that hung from her rearview mirror as she put the Bronco into drive, "A butterfly?" "Hm?", she snuck a peek from the corner of her eye, another strange expression passing over her dimly-lit features. "A butterfly.", he repeated, grasping at the ornament carefully as he examined it, "Interesting choice."

Rin-Rin? It was what the beads spelled, and despite the fact she said nothing at his remark he could feel something about her demeanor shifting while she chewed on her lip nervously and did her hardest to keep her eyes on the traffic light she was waiting on to turn green. "So… did you at least have a good flight from, uh-" "Atlanta. And not really. No." That captured her interest, "Why's that?" "Hardly enjoyable when someone is sleeping on you mid-flight." Yet he couldn't say he would be saying the same if she was the one sitting in the middle seat on that plane and leaning on him. She let out a laugh, "That bad?" He frowned at the awful memory, "I swear he was snoring and close to drooling." "The wonders of public transportation." "Yes, I was envious of the pilot." "Oof, I wouldn't.", she shuddered lightly, "Imagine being responsible for so many lives and flying…" He was about to ask if she had fear of flying, when she changed the subject, "Awful flight, larceny, dead phone, you must be having a blast in Portland." "Don't forget Lenny sleeping on the job, but… my night is frankly starting to look up.", John retorted as he watched the lights from outside dance across her skin. Where during any drive, he would usually stick to minimal conversation and keep his gaze trained out of the window, from the second he had sat in the Bronco he had found himself being unable to look at anything but her, hating how every new turn and street brought them closer to his destination. To saying goodbye. In the daze, he had barely noticed they had driven over a bridge. "I'm glad to hear that.", her voice was small. Are you thinking the same, Detective? Feeling… disappointed?

The truck rolled to a stop in front of the brightly lit circular entrance of his hotel, his mood soaring at the very sight he was dreaming of seeing throughout his whole flight. "See, arrived in one piece, with your briefcase intact.", Sabrina quipped, finally turning in her seat to face him. "Thank you for the ride.", images of leaning in and stealing a kiss invaded his mind, but he shook off the outlandish idea as he reached for the door handle and swung the door open. Stop thinking if she'd going to taste just as good as she smells. Stop. The words echoed and did little to reign in his thoughts while his feet carried him away. Away from the moment. From her. From whatever he felt anytime she looked his way and said his name. "John.", her voice rang out, making him swivel around to face her and finding her leaning across his vacated seat to peek at him from the passenger side window. "Yes?" Go on… Ask to see me again. You're feeling it too, aren't you? Instead of giving him what he wanted, what he knew would be highly inadvisable, she uttered out, "Good night. I hope you get your things back soon. And… I'm sure you're not going to let the perp get away with it, Mr. Duncan." Damn right.

Her smile and small wave haunted him as he entered the hotel and crossed over the spacious lobby towards the reception where a petite blonde was in a deep conversation over the phone. As he got closer, she raised her index finger in a signal for him to wait while she scanned him from head to toe. Minutes flew by where she tried to resolve an issue a guest had with their room before she finally hung up the call and offered him an all-too-familiar grin. It bore a striking resemblance to the one Penny always aimed his way before trying to seduce him. These were his first sign to make his escape from the potential legal trouble brewing on the horizon. "Welcome, Mr-" "Duncan. I have a reservation.", annoyance creeped in at her flirtatious tone and heated look that made him feel like she was undressing him with her eyes. Her face fell at the cold reply, but he couldn't bring himself to correct his demeanor, feeling too tired of keeping up the usual charming facade, and of entertaining people in general, "Yes, yes, of course. One moment." Her fingers flew over the keyboard, and she shifted her gaze to the monitor in front of her, slight panic spreading over her features when her green eyes moved back to him again, "Uh-" "No.", he shook his head, sensing another thing was about to go awry. "I'm afraid there's been a mix-up. The room, we have on record for you is already occupied." He rose to his full height, resting his elbow onto the desk as the ruthless attorney in him came to the surface, "I have a reservation, miss." "I-I- understand that, Mr. Duncan, but…" "I flew 5 hours from Atlanta. My assistant made the arrangements weeks back. All has been paid in advance. I expect this "mix-up" to be fixed immediately. I'd hate to see this escalate further and ruin both of our nights." Starting with stripping all the stars your hotel has first thing in the morning.

The woman took a deep breath, forcing a smile, "I will get you settled into another room right away, sir. You can take a seat, it won't take long." "Thank you." John sauntered to one of the leather couches she had pointed at, making a show of checking his phone as he sat down, a part of him enjoying the anxious glances the woman sent him while she thought he wasn't paying attention. "Mr. Duncan.", the receptionist called out, depositing a black keycard to him the second he reached the desk again, "You're on the third floor, room 309. If you need anything, I will be at your service, just a simple call way.", her last words came out in a sultry tone, suggesting she had quickly recovered from previous tense interaction. Her eyes darted behind him in search of his suitcase, "Do you, uh-, you're traveling light, I pressume?" "No.", he offered nothing else despite her visible confusion. "Alright.", she gestured to a set of elevators to his right, "Have a good rest of your night, sir… and don't hesitate to reach out if you need any assitance." For heaven's sake- He set off without another glance in her direction, pressing the call button with way too much force and taking a calming breath at her excited parting wave, seeming completely unaware of his mood as the elevator doors closed.

John moved on autopilot to his room, unlocking the door and tossing his bag on the bed with a sigh, still refusing to believe he was finally there after the chaotic day he had lived through. After searching the bedside drawers for a charger, he plugged in his phone in last ditch effort at reviving it, then stripped off his suit jacket and matching vest as he stared at the empty street below. She's long gone. And I'm just another good deed under her belt. With his watch off and placed on the nightstand, he moved onto loosening his tie while thoughts of Sabrina doing the same emerged in his mind. How her fingers would work on the buttons of his shirt next and push it off his shoulders. Glide over his chest until they'd reach his dress pants. The whole time, her eyes would drink him in, paired with a caress that would set his skin on fire. "Fuck.", he groaned out, having no recollection when his own hand had slithered beneath his boxers in an attempt to mimic her ghostly touch. His feet carried him over to the bathroom while he slipped off his underwear somewhere between the doorway and the shower, depositing the garment on the counter before stepping under the stream. Hot water cascaded down his body, soothing his muscles and washing away the 5 hour-flight as his fingers wrapped around his erection. He shut his eyes tightly, picturing her in front of him at that moment. How he would finally kiss her until he'd almost lose himself in her taste. Her lips tracing a path down his chest and past his abdomen before closing around his length. His hand tangled in her hair to guide her and set the pace, hazel eyes looking up at him full of desire.

Out of nowhere, the water turned ice cold just as he began feeling his climax building up, the shock making him yelp out a string of curses as he fumbled with the knobs to no avail. The stream remained freezing, the universe deciding he was in a dire need of a cold shower. "Fuck that. Fuck this city and this goddamned hotel.", he exclaimed, hand traveling down his abs again as he imagined how Sabrina would squeal at the cold droplets raining down and plaster her body to his in search of warmth. Her giggles at the irony and his misfortune quickly transforming into moans as he'd thrust deep into her again and again. John leaned his forehead against the tiles, strokes picking up and making his body feel hot all over despite the biting water temperature. Her name left his lips as his release spilled out in spurs, then he focused on washing up in record time thanks to the shivers that racked his form. Completely spent, he stepped out of the shower and wiped off the stream that had gathered on the mirror, preparing himself for the usual guilt and emptiness that would settle in. The same ones he dealt with anytime he'd give into what his parents deemed sinful urges. He took a deep breath, staring at his reflection, eyes slowly filling with disbelief as he gripped the sink for support. Yet no matter how much he stood there and waited, the dreaded feelings never made an appearance. Instead, the place reserved for them over the years was occupied by thoughts of her. His body felt lighter, giddier, like every ounce of stress had left him at once. A current coursed through his limbs while his lips twisted into a smile. For once, the grin he wore wasn't forced or part of the mask he let people see, rather than real, like the few she had squeezed out of him during their interaction.

"What did she do to me?", he mumbled as he secured a towel around his waist and tip-toed back into the bedroom, collapsing onto the bed, body practically melting into the soft matress. His hand felt around the sheets blindly, in search of his suit jacket, fingers slipping into its pockets to fish out a business card. The one he had grabbed from Sabrina's desk without her even noticing before they had left the precinct. John rose back up to a sitting position, eyes drawn to his phone on the nightstand, "I'd be damned." The screen was lit up, showing the charging process. Before he could stop himself, he dove for the device and turned it on. "Thank God.", he exclaimed, completely ignoring the usual array of messages that always awaited him. His spontaneous plan to call her and hear her voice again had just been granted the plausible excuse he needed. Impatient fingers flew over the phone screen to input her digits and dialed her despite the small numbers on top telling him it was well past midnight and she was probably already asleep. Ring after ring sounded in his ear as he ran his hand through his damp hair, dreading getting to voicemail.

"Hello?", her smooth voice came through instead, surprising him for a brief second and prompting her to repeat, "Hello?" "It's-", he cleared his throat, suddenly feeling unsure, like he was making his very first phone call, "John. John Duncan." Where most would demand to know how he had even gotten their number, Sabrina only laughed, then added, "Don't tell me you're in trouble. Feels like I dropped you off 5 minutes ago." "Does a broken shower count?", on her side, he could hear water running in the background before it suddenly shut off. "John?" "Yes?" Her question carried another hint of amusement, "Are you, like… making up excuses for the call?" He frowned at the baseless accusation, "No. Of course not." "It's okay if you are… I mean, it would be a bit strange, but, I-" "I'm not, I promise. What did you say before? Cross my heart?" "Okay.", she mumbled, not sounding at all convinced he was telling the truth, "So… why did you call then?" "You said to await a call from the detective that would be in charge of my case. I finally managed to get my phone to turn back on and thought-" He wanted to slap a hand over his mouth, to stop the ramble from coming out so fast and furthering her suspicions of the nature of his call. This is going brilliantly. "John, uh, can you give me a second?", she thankfully interrupted his unrestrained explanation, sounding a little distant like she was talking from across the room out of a sudden. "Are you alright?", he asked slowly, wondering if whatever bad luck was plaguing him had rubbed off on her, too.

Her voice was back to normal, aside from the laugh she forced, "Just peachy. You caught me as I was coming out of the shower, you dialed my work number… anytime I get a call on it, it's some type of development on a case, so I rushed out without thinking." "Oh.", was all he could get out, the visuals of her admission making him shift on the bed. Was I on your mind, too? Were you touching yourself, wishing I was there? "John?", her tone made him worry he had spoken his thoughts out loud on accident. "Yeah?" "You got really quiet over there, I thought the call dropped.", a drawer slammed shut somewhere in the distance, "I was saying, that seeing how it's not an emergency, I thought I could put some clothes on first, instead of…", she trailed off, then added more quietly, "sitting around in a towel and talking to you." "Because that would be weird?", he looked down at the towel that was concealing another inevitable "situation" in the making. "Yes. So just… pretend I said nothing." He leaned back on his free hand, pressing the phone closer to his ear, "And if I don't want to?" "Why would you-", she thought better of it, "Never mind." It would be a miracle if I wake up tomorrow and she doesn't have a restraining order in place. "Would it help if I said I'm dealing with the same issue? So I won't exactly judge you." She breathed into the receiver, no doubt shocked at the revelation, the sound going straight to his one body part that needed it least at that moment, "No. Not really. Is this a joke?" "No."

"Okay. Um, wow.", he could hear shuffling from the other side, a door closing, "So what's your excuse?" John ignored the question, "Did you get dressed?" "Yes. I told you I was going to.", the long pause before she responded fed his curiosity, "Are you trying to dodge my question?" "Stolen suitcase, remember? Or did you imagine me sleeping in my only suit? I suspect my client wouldn't appreciate that when I go to our meeting in the morning." That won another laugh out of her, "Yeah, you probably wouldn't be too comfortable sleeping in it, either way. Now, about your phone… is this the number I should pass along to Stockton?" "Yes." "Alrighty. I will make sure he gets it." "Thank you." He lay back down on the bed, knowing any second she was about to wrap up their call. For once, he genuinely wished to talk to someone, and he somehow ended up making things awkward. A muffled yawn, followed by a quick 'sorry', filled the silence, "I know I probably shouldn't have called, Sabrina. You could have been sleeping." "It's okay. But next time, if it's not absolutely urgent, you could maybe text, keep the line free for tips." "What are the chances of you giving me your personal number?", he pushed his luck further, then checked the screen to make sure that she was just thinking over the idea in silence, that the call hadn't disconnected or she hadn't finally had enough of his blunt tangents and hung up.

"I'm not sure that would be appropriate.", she concluded flatly. "Why?" "You're a victim involved in an ongoing case." John rolled his eyes at the poor excuse, "That has nothing to do with your division, Detective." "You're from Atlanta." He was starting to worry about her inevitable appearance in court, "That sounded like an insult." "It wasn't meant to be one." "Try again." He could physically feel the sigh she let out, "Why did you really call me?" "Should be obvious." "Why, John?", she repeated. Fine, I will bite. "I wanted to hear your voice." Yes. She's definitely getting a restraining order now. When Sabrina said nothing, he tried again, "So, the number? One I could call you on." "I will think about it." It wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, but still, it was better than a straightforward 'No' or 'Fuck off, you creep.'. "Okay.", the word was followed by more shuffling, this time sounding like rustling of sheets, like she was turning in bed, getting comfortable. "Are you in bed?", he inquired, not taking any time to think better of it. "Are you?" He smirked, "'On it' would be more accurate." "Ah, semantics, why am I not surprised."

Her playful tone urged him on, "And you're wearing-" "an old T-shirt, an absolute sight to behold and write home about." "Show me.", the request came out as more of an order. "What are you asking?" "Send me your number.", he muttered before hanging up. He knew chances were that she might not entertain the idea, but taking a gamble when the outcome was worth it wasn't anything new to him, and neither was weighting up his odds. He could only hope her curiosity and the interest he had observed earlier were strong enough, louder than her professional reasonability. John held up his phone, waiting for a message to pop up until the screen went dark and minutes passed by without anything coming through. He got up, putting away the only clothes he had and scowling at the wrinkles that had formed on his shirt and how he would have to show up to the meeting with Mooney wearing yesterday's suit. He eventually dragged himself back to the bathroom, switching the towel for his boxers. The smile he wore minutes prior was long gone, substituted by a frown over the realization Sabrina wasn't going to text him and the fact he was still hard for her. "Shitstorm.", he muttered under his breath and exited the bathroom, his gaze falling on the hotel phone as he remembered the offer the girl at the reception had made. "No." He had tried that before with every time ending up the same - with him feeling that wretched emptiness once the high was gone and wanting to kick the woman out of his bed as soon as possible. He had no doubt if he was to call her up, he would only find himself imagining someone else - Sabrina, which would only complicate things even more.

His mood was getting darker by the second just as his phone pinged with a new message, the sound making him cross the room with quick strides. He clutched the device, hope taking flight within him as he opened the notification. A number. Sabrina had given into her curiosity, thrown caution to the wind. "Or she's texted me a random number and is having a laugh at my expense." He dialed it without wasting any time in wondering about the most likely outcome or how his look in the mirror had shown him as a less put-together version of himself. Anticipation climbed up his spine as the rings sounded off, and her face filled the screen. "Hey.", she said in a greeting, rubbing at her eye before propping up her head against her hand as she regarded him. He drank her in as she reclined back against her bed's headboard- from the shy smile pulling at her lips to the messy bun her hair was in and how the soft light in her room teased her features. "I was starting to think you'd gotten cold feet." Her hazel eyes shone as she let out a laugh, "If I had to bet, I'd say you'd be the one getting cold, Mr. Duncan, stolen clothes and all that. I feel like I can skip on asking to see what you're wearing." "Ouch.", he rubbed at his chest at the jab, "That one hurt." "Too soon?" "Mhm. Now, I was promised a sneak peek, or should I say, undeniable proof?"

She matched his smirk, panning the phone down while she announced in a hushed but still dramatic tone, "Behold. The most exquisite sleepwear you will ever see." His gaze took in the dark blue short-sleeved shirt she was covered by, worn-out and equally as alluring with how it hugged her body. The cotton material left little to his imagination. She moved the camera back to her face way too soon, "See?" He nodded thoughtfully, "Designer brands have nothing on it." "Truly." His mind drifted to the unknown man in her phone and her speaking quietly, "And you're alone?" Definitely didn't sound creepy or anything. "No.", his heart sank until she added, "A whole harem of guys is keeping me company, actually. They're currently fighting who will be sleeping on my tiny bed, and who's taking the ground, pillowless. A true form of punishment, I tell you." "Sounds entertaining." "Oh, absolutely. Wish you were here, huh?" His voice grew serious, huskier, "You have no idea." "Though, chances are you'd probably end up on the floor too, I love my bed too much to share it." Sleeping on the ground had never sounded more appealing to him, sore back and everything.

Tagging, @madparadoxum @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat @strangefable @strafethesesinners @florbelles @chazz-anova @josephslittledeputy @josephseedismyfather @g0dspeeed @aceghosts @adelaidedrubman @poisonedtruth @purplehairsecretlair @corvosattano @euryalex @trench-rot @voidika @v0idbuggy @cassietrn @simplegenius042 @jillvalentinesday @stacispratt @nightbloodbix @theelderhazelnut @shegetsburned @dumbassdep and anyone with something to share ❤️

#what are the chances John ends up suing his hotel (& the city of Portland as a whole) for damages and emotional distress by the end of this #tagged <3 #wip: a trial of errors #oc: sabrina donovan #john seed #john x sabrina #fc5 au #far cry 5 au #fc5 ocs #far cry 5 oc #fc5 deputy #oc character #wip snippet #wip whenever #wip weekend

42 notes · View notes