(no subject)

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Who: Gene Hunt, Jim Keats
When: Night
Where: CID Office, Fenchurch East
What: Working
Warnings: TBA



It was late at night and the only light in CID was coming from Gene’s office. There was a half empty bottle of scotch and a half empty glass on the desk, a cigarette burning away in the ashtray, half of a cold bacon butty and one Gene Hunt slumped over a case file.

His elbow was rested on the edge of the desk, his cheek on his fist. He looked fed up and plain exhausted. But he showed no signs of moving from his spot any time soon.

Comments

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Burning the midnight oil?" Keats asked with an amused smile, leaning against the door frame with a file tucked under his arm. He was going to clear off himself, well that was until he saw Gene was still here. He never could resist a good one on one, especially now their game was more open and unpredictable.

"Would of though you'd be at the pub or are you in short supply of mates these days?" he mocked with a small smirk.

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Oh wonderful! Just what Gene needed to brighten his day. Why did Jim always seem to appear when he felt miserable? Gene gave a sigh and lifted his head to look at him. "It's called 'work', Jimbo, maybe you should give it a try sometime."

He downed the scotch that was in his glass and refilled it, and moved to get a second glass from the shelf, filling it with scotch for Jim, sliding it across the desk. "Oh, Jimbo, I'd say I have abou as many mates as you do. You know that."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"All I ever do is work these days, blimey do you think I'm here for your wonderful company?" Keats rolled his eyes, taking the seat across from Gene and happily excepting the glass. Drinking with Gene was far from his favourite activity but it'd been a long night and some pre-round drinks were always useful. "I have to keep going over what you're useless team does, they can't fill in paper work to save their bloody lives."

He was about to ask where Gene found these idiots but there was a stupid question, they both knew that one. "Roughly, I 'pose, but mine never leave me. They just get... moved, shall we say?"

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"My team's paper work is fine." Fine, as in hardly ever done on time and usually half missing. Apart from recently - since Alex had been back she had done pretty much all of Gene's paper work for him, all he had to do was sign it. It was wonderful. "You could always bugger off back to Scotland Yard, we wouldn't miss you."

At Jim's comment about his friends leaving, Gene's jaw clenched. He reached for his glass and drained it in one one mouthful, slamming it back down on the desk before refilling it. "My mates... my team... they don't leave me. They move on to bigger and better things, Jimbo."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"I can't till I get your bloody lot sorted out. Signing your paper work 'Toss off wanker' is not proper procedure and whoever did it wasn't clever," Keats informed Gene, presenting him the file that was obviously directed at him. Everyone in the office knew Keats was checking over their work, some div thought it'd be funny to piss him off.

Keats smirked and took a small sip of his drink. He did love getting under Gene's skin, it amused him greatly. "Yep, they move bigger and better things than sitting around all day playing hero with a sad little man who wants to be a hero. Course they leave you and no wonder, this place is tedious and mind numbing."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Gene glanced over the file, giving a slight smirk. Maybe his new team wasn't so bad after all. It might not be clever, but it was pretty funny. "We can sort ourseves out just fine, Jimmy, we're all big boys here. You just scurry back to where you came from."

He picked up the cigarette burning in the ashtray and stubbed it out, before pulling a new one from the packet, lighting it. He held the packet out to Jim. "Sooner play the hero than the Devil's dogsbody, meself."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"You say that and yet the complaints just keep on coming. I have a few with me, if you want to see," Keats pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolding it and tossing it onto Gene desk with an amused smile. Keats had taken the time to scribble down his personal favourites from the complaint letters he'd gotten.

Rolling his eyes, he knocked back the rest of his drink and slid the glass along. "Trouble is, you're not the hero. You're just a bit of a deluded idiot."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Gene read over the piece of paper before simply picking it up, scrunching it into a tight ball and tossed it into the rubbish bin where it belonged. "My team, my men, they are responsible for keeping these streets clean. We are police officers. We do our job with pride. But a snivelling coward like you wouldn't know anything about pride, would you, Jimmy-boy?"

He refilled Jim's glass, filling it almost to the rim. "I am the Lion of Fenchurch East. I am the Guv. And I will always be the Guv, and that is far better than being something Satan scraped off his foot like you."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Ah yes, your wonderful mean of divs, idiots and discards from proper stations," Keats criticised, crossing his arms and giving Gene a sceptical look. "I know plenty of it. And lets save the 'my team' speeches for someone who actually cares. You can love them all you like Gene but you can't keep them forever. One of us has to win and its all coming up my way these days."

Keats smirked and leaned forward, giving Gene a small look. "You don't even know who I am, do you Gene? If you think I mean that little to my boss then you're in for a surprise when your time comes."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"My job is to prepare them for what lies ahead. That's my job and that's what I do. It is my job to stop them falling into your grubby little hands. They might leave, but at least I know that when they leave they have found what it is they seek."

Gene leaned in too, grabbing Jim by the tie, pulling him closer. "You're not as important as you think, Jimbo. Your boss will cast you aside just like all the others who have failed before you."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

Keats braced himself on Gene's desk, glaring as he was yanked by his tie. "bloody hell Gene, watch what you're pulling. Thats my best tie."

He laughed disjointedly at Gene and moved closer willingly, a dark glint in his eyes. "Neither are you. What? Do you think you're some big hero who can stop us? You're very wrong. I'm his right hand man, I'm his go to guy, I'm the one that will bring you down."

He jerked his body away, using his hand to try and pry Gene's hands off him.

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

The urge to cut it in half with scissors was so strong, but Gene managed to resist. He let go and leaned back in his chair, snakeskin booted feet soon finding their way onto the desk.

"The big boss man must be running scared, eh? Sending his best weasel gopher to do his work. And all because of some nineteen year old kid with a 'ead full of dreams? Real scary stuff right there, Jimbo." His voice oozed sarcasm, a smirk firmly in place.

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

Keats sank back into his chair, tugging his tie undone so he could redo it, Gene had officially ruined his perfect knot so he set about redoing it. Unlike some, he liked to look presentable unlike some who he wouldn't name.

"We're not scared of you, you're just a nuisance we'd rather get rid of. A pathetic kid who likes to think he's some sort of hero. Like Gary Copper or Clint Eastwood, it gets rather old after a while," Keats smirked and crossed his arms, not willing to back down.

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"Must be getting pretty lonely down there since I started working, eh? So few transfering down to you these days. Shame."

Really, this was such a petty playground argument, but the stakes were extremely high. "You really think getting rid of me will fix things? Someone would simply take my place."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Oh not at all, some many different areas of the world and unfortunately this place doesn't revolve around you. Some want their hearts desire and we offer that... well of sorts."

He smirked, willing to take Gene on as much as he was. "Hopefully whoever takes your place will be less of a useless Neanderthal but you never know, I suppose."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"You offer them nowt but lies and false dreams." Gene took a mouthful of scotch, keeping his eyes fixed on Jim over the rim of his glass.

Jim had made it personal when he started targetting Gene's team. Of all the departments in all the world, he had picked his. He had broken them. Not only had he planted seeds of doubts in their heads but he had shown them their own deaths. That pissed Gene off more than ever. "Too bad for you I'm not going anywhere, eh?"

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"And yet people seem to love it. What does that say about people, huh?"

Keats had no delusion that all men were upstanding moral people. He saw them as dark creatures hiding behind fake innocence. He found it rather laughable at times. He showed men the truths within themselves and about themselves, it was his job. If it made him a cruel bastard, he didn't mind. "You think, anyway."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"People might not be all rainbows and kittens, but not all of 'em are black hearted bastards like you." Gene knew people could be bastards, cruel, twisted bastards, but there were good people in the world too, and it was those people he would keep fighting to protect.

"I'm staying right here, Jimbo. I'll be right here, doing my job for a long, long time yet. Besides, got meself a guardian angel watching over me."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"But they all have that potential. How'd you know I wasn't once one of the rainbows and kitten men?" Keats challenged before shrugging his shoulders. Keats didn't speak of anything beyond the world they were in and he liked it that way.

"A guardian angel? Who?"

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"You? I bet you were the geeky kid everyone bullied. Poor little Jimbo, so tortured," Gene mocked, a smirk once more on his face.

At Keats' question about his angel, Gene's smirk grew bigger and he took a long sip of scotch. "Alex."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Then you'd bet wrong," Was all Keats said, not buying into Gene's bait. He didn't show any anger or annoyance because he knew indifference was the best way to annoy people. They wanted a reaction and Keats refused to give it.

He raised an eyebrow at the answer. Alex? She was back. "Blimey O'Riley, you think Alex has any powers? Aww, aren't you sweet?"

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"Poor little weak Jimbo who all the big kids picked on. Bet they kicked dirt in your face and everything, eh?" Reaction or not, Gene would continue to tease.

Yet any joking expressions vanished from his face at Jim's question. "You stay away from Alex Drake. You did quite enough bloody damage last time round!"

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Bet you did as well," Keats challenged with a small tilt of his head. "Pathetic skinny little brat who got picked on by all the big kids? That why you want to be the big man here, isn't it? You're turn to show off."

Keats didn't even flinch at the warning, he simply cross his arms with an amused expression. "I always thought me and Alex got on quite well. Same methods, both of us respect the rules and both of us have doubts about the all might Gene Genie."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"Bullied? The Gene Genie? Never." He had been skinny and shy, with a head full of dreams. He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to be like the big Western greats.

He glared at Jim. A cold, dark, dangerous glare. "Alex and me are solid. Whatever seeds of doubt you planted have withered and died."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"You can;t lie to me Gene," Keats remarked in a sing song, fashion, getting to his feet and strolling around Gene's office like he owned it, studying the items on the shelf with vague interest.

"Whoever said Alex is my top target anyway, got a team full of people. You and Alex, so obsessed with one another, do you really think you're the only people on my mind?" Keats put on a wicked grin, making it very clear this game was much more open that before. He pull out his cigarettes and proceeded to light it up, taking a long drag and blowing the smoke in Gene's direction.

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Gene didn't much like people strolling around his kingdom like they owned it. It pissed him off, to be honest.

He seemed unaffected by the cloud of smoke blown in his face. The joys of years of chain-smoking. "We're not obsessed. We're a team. Everyone here, they are my team. And I will protect them as long as I can."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

Keats inhale the smoke with a small grin and leaned against the wall, glancing down at Gene. "Course you're. A team of mavericks who don't do anything by the book, no proper rules or work, all the ways of Gene Hunt."

He rolled his eyes and rolled the cigarette around in his mouth. "You've tainted them all, I hope I can redeem them all some way."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"Oi! We do proper police work! We never break the rules, we just bend them a little. We do what we need to do to protect this city. You're a DCI, you should understand that."

Gene got up and crossed over to Jim, leaning in to swipe the cigarette from his mouth, before returning to his chair to smoke it. "Redeem them? Burning in Hell isn't exactly being redeemed, Jimmy-boy."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"I'm a very successful DCI and I never bent the rules. I'd of like to but I didn't, I played by the rules. Well I do at work," he smirked playfully, his record may have look clean but he was far from a stand up bloke.

His eyes widened as Gene took his cigarette, giving the other man a small glare. That was his! He'd been smoking it and Gene took it! Why? "Oi! That was mine, expensive packet as well so give it over."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Gene took a good long drag of the cigarette, exhaling slowly, even going as far as to blow a few smoke rings. "Do you ever to any actual policing work, Jim? All I ever see you do is file things and complain. Can't protect the streets from behind a bloody desk."

He took another drag. "Was yours. Now it's mine."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Paper work is police work," Keats muttered, rolling his eyes. He didn't expect Gene's to understand the importance of his job at all, he just let it slide. He wasn't much of a field man, he did his job and he did it well.

Keats rolled his eyes and leaned over Gene's desk, taking his cigarette out of Gene's mouth, looking it over before stubbing it out of Gene's wall. He didn't watch it after it'd been in Gene's mouth.

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"Well it's not proper police work is it? It's all writing reports and signing things. Not very manly. Can't catch criminals from a desk, can you? Can't lock up scum without going out and getting them."

Gene glared at Keats as the cigarette was taken from him. He swiftly replaced it with one of his own.

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

Keats sighed and pulled out his packet of cigarette, lighting one up before tossing his lighter to Gene. They weren't friends and they most certainly didn't spend time together for fun but Keats still offered manners. He maybe trying to bring them down but he knew how to act.

"Doesn't have to be manly, its necessary."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Gene flicked the lighter to get a flame and lit his own cigarette. He considered swiping the lighter, but he decided against it, tossing it back to Keats.

"It's girly. Secretaries should do it. Preferably ones with big tits and short skirts."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

Keats caught the lighter and smirked at Gene. "Its proper work. You know, something that you've never done."

He didn't think that his job as unmanly, somehow had to do it and he was the best. Besides, being the in field was far too tempting. So many souls, so little time.

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"Why would I want to be a pen-pusher when you're so much better at it, Jimbo?" Gene taunted, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Gene's job would be a lot harder if he had to keep an eye on Keats in the field. It was much easier to keep tabs on him in an office. "Maybe if you're good I'll buy you some paperclips."

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Cause then I'd have less paper work? Your antics get me a lot of forms to kill out. Its a pain, you do realise. It'll be so much easier when I finally crush you and tear this world apart."

Keats grinned and hopped back into the chair, slamming his hands down on the table. "I say we make this round so much more interesting, Gene. What about you?"

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"But then you'd have nothing to do all day. Wouldn't want to take your form-filling fun from you Jimmy-boy!"

Gene leaned forward on his elbows, cigarette resting between his fingers. "And just what have you got in mind?"

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"A game, winner takes all. Whichever one of us catches the most souls an reels them in, wins. We have ... shall we say till 1985. New Years day."

Keats smirked and took a long drag of his cigarette. "Winner gets this world, losers has to leave."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

"These are peoples' lives, Keats. Peoples' bloody lives!! This is not some game. Their lives aren't prizes!"

Gene stubbed out his cigarette and slammed his hands down on the desk. "They have hopes and dreams and futures!"

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Ohh who cares! They're dead. What hopes and dreams will they full-fill when they're dead. Give it up Gene, they're nothingness."

Keats grinned and sunk back into his seat, taking a long drag. "Its one big game and we're the only players that matter at the end of the day."

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Ohohoho. Jim Keats knew exactly how to wind Gene up. He knew exactly what buttons to press. And that, right there, was it.

He pushed himself to his feet and moved around the desk, punching Jim in the face.

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

Jim almost fell out of his chair at the force of the hit, stumbling upright and gripping where Gene's rather massive hand had hit him. There was a trickle of blood running down his face as he looked at Gene with a small glare... that soon became a bright grin.

He laughed, a manic bout of disjointed laughter that came with victory. He threw his arms out, not caring if the blood was dripping down his face. He knew he'd gotten to Gene and that was all that mattered.

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

That laugh made Gene's blood boil and it took a whole lot of willpower not to punch Jim again. He shouldn't have given Jim the satisfaction in the first place, but the man just got under his skin.

"Don't you have paperwork you should be doing, Jimbo?" Gene cracked his knuckles, glaring at the other man with an ice cold venom that only the best Gene Hunt glare could hold.

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Oooh no! I'm done for the night," Keats tossed the file he'd had up into the air, paper flying about Gene's office as Keats turned away and shoved the door open. "The games on Gene! Prepare to lose."

Keats leapt onto one of the desks, kicking the typewriter off and waving at Gene. "Nighty-night!"

[unbreakablelion.livejournal.com]

Gene stood amidst the falling papers, arms folded across his chest, standing tall despite it all. "Piss off, Jimbo. Mind you don't fall down the elevator shaft on your way back to Hell."

Really! Must the man kick typewriters everytime? Couldn't he leave without destroying things just once?

[downtheelevator.livejournal.com]

"Fine, fine. I'm off," Keats held his hands in the air, spinning around and making his way to the elevator. He smirked once more and adjusted his glasses. "Going down? Oh yes."