Work Text:
"Okay. If this focus group isn’t real, I’m going to take you apart like a human string cheese.”
“Understood.”
Greg blew out a long, exasperated breath. That was. Scary. Kerry was a terrifying person. He watched her angrily leave the room and leaned back in his chair. That was intense. He had asked for this, the harder jobs, the more important jobs. It didn’t feel very important but someone had to do it and Tom wanted him to. He couldn’t say no to Tom, especially not when he was on his side. “Just back away to a position of safety, and I will march in to mop up the rage, okay?” Tom had said.
Luckily, Greg had it covered. He didn’t have to rely on Tom for this. Well, other than his coaching of him on how he should break the news to Kerry. He felt a little guilty about it all, he could tell that she really wanted to do this, although he wasn’t sure why. Why would anyone want to be a news anchor for something like ATN? He’d hated working there ever since Tom was promoted.
I guess I should go tell Tom, Greg thought.
He walked through the empty hallways of ATN. It was after hours and most people had gone home within the last hour or so. It felt like such a different place than it was during the day. There were always people everywhere, busy and running around from one space to another. Truthfully, he found it a bit overwhelming at times, but he could handle it. He may not have liked working there much but he couldn’t complain when he was being paid how he was. It was good, albeit dirty, money. Money made from lies and bigotry and everything he was against morally and politically. But Tom was against those things, too, and he didn’t just work there, he was the head of it all. At least they were in Logan’s good graces, even after Greg’s appalling behavior at his birthday party. It was a lot more than what Logan’s own children could say.
Greg found Tom back in the room that they had been in when they discussed Greg’s meeting with Kerry, he wanted to meet back up there when everything was done and over with. He was sitting on the windowsill next to an ugly fake tree when Greg walked in, catching his attention when the door clicked shut behind him. “So?” he asked.
“Well, I, uh, think it went okay.”
Tom raised his eyebrow in that dramatic way he always did, waiting for Greg to elaborate.
“You know, obviously she was pretty pissed. She threatened me, sort of? And she kept asking about you, but I didn’t say anything. Stuck to the script and such. But I think it went okay, all things considered!”
Tom nodded. “Good. Good boy, Greg. Job well done.”
Greg beamed at the praise and walked over to Tom. “Thanks, man.”
Tom laughed. “So, what exactly did she say?”
“She asked if you put me up to it, which you kind of did, but I didn’t tell her that. And she asked if you and Logan were a part of the focus group I mentioned, and I definitely didn’t tell her that. I said something about geriatric people and kids.”
He nodded again. “Mhm, and that’s all? What about the threat?”
“Oh! It wasn’t serious, really. Something about me being a human string cheese, taking me apart limb by limb I guess is what she meant. It was kind of funny? But also she’s pretty scary, so…” Greg cleared his throat, loosening his tie. Tom didn’t have to know every single detail, did he?
“I dunno, buddy, I feel like there’s something you aren’t saying.”
Greg coughed up a nervous laugh. Okay, maybe Tom did feel like he needed to know everything. He sighed. “Fine, okay. I may have mentioned that… there were some rumors, unpleasant ones, about her having an advantage because of her… relationship with Uncle Logan? Except I didn’t say the word ‘advantage,’ you know? And I think she took that the wrong way.”
“And what- what word did you use, Greg?”
“Um… ‘legs-up?’ And, and then she implied that maybe we- that I was also getting my legs up? And that there weren’t just rumors about her and Logan but also me and…”
Tom shifted uncomfortably. He rubbed his hands on his slacks and stood up. “You and… you and me?” He placed a finger over his mouth, contemplating. It was another one of those little quirks that Greg had noticed. His ring glinted in the lamplight. “Well, Greg. She’s right about there being rumors. And about me helping you climb the ladder, so to speak. You’ve never heard?”
“Wh- wh- what? No! No, I haven’t heard anything about US. Maybe about me being related to the Roy’s, but not anything about you! And- well, I might have some things to say about you helping me. I could’ve gotten here on my own, you know!” Greg huffed. His success in this company wasn’t just because of Tom or his family, right? Is that really what people think? Sure, he might’ve gotten some help but he worked hard, didn’t he?
Tom shushed him. “I have treated you a little bit… unfairly compared to other people in the company. I think you’re a very diligent assistant but you have qualities that everyone else in your family have. I think you could’ve been in your position without me, Greg, honestly. But, nowhere near as soon as how it happened. They’re right, in a way.”
Greg made a noise in protest and opened his mouth a few times, no doubt looking like a fish out of water, trying to object to what Tom was saying. “I take offense to that, you know? And, and what about the implication that we’re… we’re…”
“Fucking, Greg? God, for someone who’s had their fingers inside half the twenty and thirty year old women in New York, you really can’t talk about sex easily, huh? Really, ‘rummage?’ Not being able to say ‘fucking?’”
That was harsh. It wasn’t like he was Roman or something. He could talk about sex. But talking about sex with Tom was a lot different than talking about having sex with Tom. Greg felt the back of his neck heating up. What was it, embarrassment, shame? He looked down at his feet and studied the details of his shoes. They had a recent scuff mark on them.
“Greg, listen,” Tom tilted his chin back up so they were looking at each other, although with Greg’s height he didn’t have to move him much. “Sometimes there are rumors, and people, you know, they aren’t fucking.” Tom swallowed. He was recycling words that he had said to Shiv when he asked her about Nate before they got married. “But sometimes, they totally are.”
“B- but we aren’t. Fucking. We aren’t, Tom.”
Greg was backing up. He felt nervous, his skin was burning. Tom stepped in time with him, keeping the small distance between them the entire time. Greg’s back hit the corner of the room and the air left his lungs, more out of surprise than from the impact. He felt small even with Tom having to look up at him.
“No. We aren’t. But no one cares about that, they believe what they want to believe. If Kerry and Logan weren’t fucking, everyone would still say that they were.”
A grimace flashed over Greg’s face. He really didn’t want to think about his uncle and Kerry. He was almost glad that Tom was so close to him, for the distraction. “So, so you’re saying…”
Tom slowly walked his fingers up Greg’s tie. “I’m saying we could be, Gregory. Or that we never will. And no one would actually know because they already think we are. How do you think the rumors started? Did it come from your family? You know how they are, spreading misinformation about Kendall’s drug use or Sandy’s syphilis. Or do you think some low level employee started it, maybe they were jealous of our friendship, or jealous of my marriage to Shiv, oh, or maybe someone had a crush on you, Greg. They saw you walking through the halls, following me around like an obedient little puppy dog. They must have noticed these long, slender legs of yours,” Tom ran his hand over the front of Greg’s thigh for emphasis, but he was laughing.
Why was he laughing? Greg shuddered. He couldn’t tell if Tom was messing around with him. He whimpered.
“Maybe you looked at someone with your big, innocent eyes and batted your eyelashes at them. You could make someone go crazy doing that, you know? You’ve always been a tease since the first day you showed your pretty face around here. I guess what I’m saying is that you don’t get to complain about these rumors because really, it’s your fault.”
“My- my fault?” Greg snapped at Tom. “You… you could’ve started the rumors! What else am I supposed to think if you start talking to me like that? Saying those th-things about how I look.” His knees felt weak.
Tom laughed again, loud and hearty. “You’re right! I totally could have. But you could’ve started them, too. I guess we’ll never know, huh?” He backed up finally.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? Greg slumped into the corner, holding himself up against the wall. Of course Tom was messing with him. He glared in his direction. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” His voice came out louder than he meant for it to. “You were really starting to freak me out with that.”
“Really? Because I was getting the impression that you were enjoying it quite a bit. Getting all hot and bothered and well...” He smirked and glanced down.
Greg followed Tom’s eyes. Oh god. He was hard. He hadn’t even noticed. “Th- this doesn’t mean that- fuck you! You’re a man, you know how dicks are! This is not because of you!” His hands flew to cover the front of his pants and somehow he felt himself blush even harder.
Tom smiled. “Oh, sure. Sure.” He walked towards the door and turned back to Greg as he opened it. “Good job, for handling the Kerry situation so well. I’m proud of you, Greg.”
“Thanks…” Greg muttered. He waited for Tom to leave and sunk down onto the floor with a long sigh. He placed his head in his hands.
“Oh!” Greg’s head shot back up. Tom was peaking around the door again. “Don’t jerk off in here, okay, buddy?” He winked and disappeared once more.
What the fuck was wrong with that guy? Greg laughed and shook his head. He smiled to himself, Tom was proud of him.