Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Coming Clean

Because we needed a brother bonding time chapter and it's taken me wayyyyyy to long to write one.

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"You know you have to tell him," Carter said.

Mason stared at her, sitting in the seat next to him, her feet propped up on his desk, a box of Chinese food in hand.

"Tell who what?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb, it doesn't look good on you."

He pointed at her. "Correction, everything looks good on me. Including dumb, ignorant, and Armani."

Carter shot him an intense glare and he wondered why she bothered coming in here. The thought was withdrawn, of course he knew. Carter gravitated towards him whenever Donovan was on a mission. Mason was waiting for the day when the agency realized that it was better if Donovan and Carter were put on the same team. Conveniently it would mean Carter would stop annoying Mason. It was a win-win all around.

"I'm serious," Carter said. "He would want to know."

"Yes, but do I want him to know is the question."

"He's your brother."

"Half-brother."

"You're only making that distinction because you know that you're hiding and that he's going to be hurt that you've held out on him for this long."

This, this is why the agency needed to get their act together, so Carter would leave Mason alone. Couldn't a guy withhold information from his brother in peace?!

Carter removed her feet from the desk and stood, staring down at Mason.

"Tell him, Mason. Or I will."

Mason snapped his head up. "You wouldn't!"

Her grin was slow and devilish. He really hated Carter Owens. With her answer given, she strode out of his cubicle. He wished she'd take her well-meaning notions with her.

Tell Link. It was a terrible idea. He loved his brother and knew him. That's why it was such a bad idea.

Clocking out, Mason grabbed his jacket and slid it on, heading towards the elevators.

There were a million reasons why he shouldn't tell Link. He'd be excited. He would want to know everything. He would think that Mason was somehow improving as a person. He would want to set up a double date or some nonsense. He'd be excited for Mason. No, he'd already thought of that one.

Still, there were so many reasons why Mason shouldn't tell him, yet that didn't stop Mason from pushing through the doors of Evans, Smith, and Howard law firm. Even with the workday officially over, the place bustled with people searching for files, making calls, and holding arguments in the hallway. This was a terrible idea.

Mason found Link in a back desk, files stacked about him. Only a year out of law school, he held one of the lowest positions in the firm. It didn't matter that his mother was one of the partners, he would make his way up the ladder like everyone else.

When Mason approached, Link raised his head. A happy grin spread across his face. Mason was the worst human being in the world, this was a fact. Second to that fact was he had a brother he didn't deserve. Why couldn't Link mildly tolerate him like so many other people in his life?

"Hey," Mason said. "I wanted to see if you were free to grab dinner with me?"

The invitation brightened Link even more. Seriously, mildly tolerate. It would make Mason feel so much less guilty for holding out for this long.