Chapter Text
Workplace setting, break room
Zeke walked in just as a semi-familiar head thunked down on the tabletop, slender shoulders slumping low. Nisu... something. Being new to the building, Zeke was just working on learning and memorizing names and faces. He cleared his throat lightly, "Uh, Nisu, right? Mind if I sit?" Those slender shoulders visibly stiffened at the sound of his voice. Choosing a spot a few spaces away on the opposite side of the table, he slid a chair out and waited for a response.
"Nisuna, yes." Replied a stiff voice that matched those stiff shoulders. Soon after Nisuna lifted his head, what looked to be a smile on his face. "Please... sit." He finally managed after gauging the distance between them. Even managed to let his shoulders relax and release some of the tension.
Zeke took another good look at the other male, eyes narrowed in his concentration, to which Nisuna tried not to squirm beneath his gaze, and gave a nod a moment later as he sat down. "Nee-soo-nah. Gotcha." Zeke sounded out the name, committing it to memory, and grinned as he turned to his lunch. "I'll be sure to remember for next time."
Nisuna could feel his cheeks warming and took a moment to look away. "Th-thanks." Nisuna stammered a bit in his nervousness, "You're the new guy, um... welcome to the building."
"Yea, the name's Zeke." He introduced himself easily enough. So sure, and confident, Nisuna couldn't help but stare a little. Feeling his cheeks warming again, however, he looked away once more.
After a moment or two of sitting in silence, Nisuna stood to return to his duties, he paused after pushing in his chair, "It-it was nice meeting you." He stated quietly. Zeke stared up at Nisuna, his head tilted slightly as if he had trouble catching the other man's words, for Nisuna had rushed through what he said so quickly that it sounded more like this; "I-itwanicmettinyou," not to mention it was said so quietly that he almost thought he had imagined him saying anything at all. "Sorry, I was lost in thought there. What was that?" Zeke asked. He hadn't been lost in thought, but the look of pure mortification on Nisuna's face had him trying to help the other male save face over his rushed jumble of words. "Ah..." Nisuna cleared his throat to project his voice a bit more than his first attempt. "It was nice meeting you." He said again, the words being spoken more carefully this time around, he even offered a shy smile before he turned for the door.
"You too. See you around, maybe." Zeke offered a quick smile of his own along with a nod as Nisuna turned to the door.
((Nisuna))
Back at his desk, Nisuna stared blankly at the screen before him. Fingers poised over the keyboard ready to type, but they remained motionless. 'Should be typing, should be working.' he told himself, but his mind was a jumbled mess, bordering on a panic attack. Nisuna sat back in his chair, folded his hands in his lap, and drew in a deep, slow, breath. Held it, then exhaled just as slowly. Breathing exercises. Nisuna tried to quiet the chaos of his racing mind, to reflect what he was trying to achieve with his controlled breathing, but there was just too much.
'See you around' echoed through his head, like a bullet ricocheting off a dozen surfaces. How many times had he heard that before? See you around... For Nisuna that generally meant trouble and that individual was up to no good. Was it fair of him to paint the new guy with the same tainted brush? Probably not. But he had nothing else to show or tell him otherwise that those words had been harmless, friendly even.
Counting backward from ten, Nisuna reasoned with himself.
Ten. Breathe... Just breathe.
Nine. 'See you around' was nothing.
Eight. Breathe.
Seven. A lot of people say it. It's a common phrase.
Six. Not everyone is bad.
Five. Relax. Relax. Relax.
Four. Just a common phrase.
Three. Nothing to worry about.
Two. I am okay.
One. Now open your eyes.
((Zeke))
“Quite the nervous one, ain’t he?” Zeke muttered to himself in the now silent breakroom. He continued on with his lunch, pausing only as another creature entered the room. This one was half-man, for the most part on the top half; he had a set of horns that curved back, goat ears, and nearly human eyes, while the bottom half appeared to be a goat. Zeke had seen satyrs’ before, but he never had an up-close experience with them, and while he didn’t mean to stare at the guy, he just found them intriguing, to say the least. The satyr stomped a hoof in his annoyance and grunted, “Take a picture, pal, it lasts longer.” With a pointed stare at Zeke, the creature took a seat.
Blinking once or twice he looked away, “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude…” Zeke found himself clearing his throat and started picking up the remainder of his lunch to throw away. That gruff voice had him pausing again, however, and he glanced over to see that same pointed stare aimed at the food that was now poised just over the trash bin. “No need to be hasty now, if yer gonna waste that, then give it ‘ere.”
“You, want my half-eaten food?” Zeke heard himself asking.
“I ain’t picky. Got a stomach of steel besides.” The satyr said, patting a rather round belly that bespoke his fondness for food. “Well, I’m not about to argue with you there.” Shrugging, Zeke set the food back down, close enough to the satyrs’ elbow that he could grab it when he was ready.
“What’s yer name, kid?” The satyr inquired as he opened what was about to be thrown out.
“Zeke.” Once again, he found himself staring in fascination as the satyr sniffed at the food, nodded, then took a bite. “You?”
“Alekos.” The satyr mumbled his introduction around another bite of food. “Yer gawkin’ again, boy.” But this time Zeke found it harder to look away as the guy started munching on the wrapper of his meal.
“You, uh… You’re eating the wrapper…” He tried to point out helpfully.
Alekos chuckled, or as much as one could with a mouthful of food. “Stomach o’ steel.” He said again. He paused long enough to eye Zeke up, “Tell ye what, kid. Try not to gawk too much in the future, an’ if ye have any leftovers, ye send ‘em on my way. We’ll get along jus’ fine, yea?”
Zeke grinned at this, gave a two-finger salute to his seemingly newfound friend, and headed for the exit. “You got it, man. Enjoy the rest of your meal.” Alekos only offered a soft grunt at his departing words.
Punching the clock, Zeke grabbed his mop, bucket, and cart, looking forward to the rest of his day with a little more enthusiasm.