Work Text:
how dumb
the sound of muffled Chatter filled ears
the boy (man?) pouted. just a soft pout he did when he didn't get his way. they're late. Boss is never late, did anything happen?
he wants to go inside, the looks the woman is sending them makes his shoulder tense
Barbara swayed her wine glass around, boredom in her chest. she wants to go home, have a shitty sandwich and watch weird soap operas alone
her sight forced itself to follow the unnecessarily complicated designs on the walls. filthy rich people are so dumb
it's the peak of their careers, as the boss puts it. She know he doesn't believe any of the bullshit the higher ups tell him, but he has to deliver them
they sit on a corner, glasses full of red wine and pearly white chairs surrounds both
at least the wine is good, she consoles herself
like loyal dogs they sit and wait for the others,the couch too soft to their liking
"business dinner? is that what are we doing?" such genuine confusion brings a smirk, never a smile, to her face
"could be anything, do you have the pocket knife?", she speaks with the glass near her lips, enjoying the deep red colour
when Hayato eyes widens with nervousness and his hands searches inside his blazer's pockets she remembers that she's talking with Hayato
her face morphs in a frown and with as much ease her eyes bore, "I'm kidding,no weapons"
she would've liked her bat with her, "apparently it's not appropriate to bring anything that could be taken as a weapon", her voice is filled with annoyance
"oh-" he stops, thinking for a mere second, "the bat isn't a weapon though"
"you're damn right!"
she sips the wine once again, trying not to mind the uncomfortable piece of clothing that should burn in hell
she's not used to skirts, let alone fancyish dresses. the fabric falling on her body and following her curves was hypnotizing to see at first, everything about it made her feel gorgeous and ready to punch Mike in the face
maybe even the woman. why was she glaring? was she hitting on her?
after five minutes it was only annoying. the length kept sabotaging her, she Nearly tripped an uncountable number of times
Hayato looked somewhat confident in his suit, the bowtie childish and wrinkled but it suited him perfectly
"why are we here again?" the latter asked, hands fiddling with the bowtie. did he look professional enough?
a groan, clearly inappropriate in such setting, escaped her mouth, the woman kept staring; when hayato retreated she felt guilt wash over her. Goddamnit
"we're waiting", she sipped again. the short sentence should be able to quiet down the quick remorse in her gut. for now
"for what?"
how clueless can a man be?!
"we're waiting", she clutched the glass tighter, spitting her words out and using the backrest behind her. "Boss and the weirdos need to be here so we can enter"
'the weirdos', Emma, Ray, Nigel, Cislo and Vincent, are late
Paula was able to get out of this rather quickl, having a job to keep in check
Mike, another weirdo, keeps trying to get boss and the others on a good side to keep the terms friendly enough
Barbara likes to think it's because Norman makes the good money, because he's successful and youthful and he has his whole life ahead of him
and Mike isn't as smart nor successful
she smirks, proud to be work alongside him
--
"cut me some slack, i need time". he hates ties, it's official
"you've had enough of it, aren't you ready?"
aren't girls supposed to take more time getting ready? why is she ready while he's closed in the bathroom still?
she knocked again, she's still barefoot and Ray is closed in there. they're late
Vincent stood dumbfounded and somewhat glad for the boss
Emma and Ray were... odd. Emma is a child at heart, she's full of energy and Ray is the complete opposite, brooding and an introvert but they do their jobs excellently and without an error. working together or not
they're good for Norman
the same Norman stood near him. his overly confident aurea making him taller than what he actually was, a gentle but exasperated expression adorned his face almost adorably
almost
he remembers the time were his own eyes lingered to the outline of his shirts, to the rare smiles in professional settings, the white and ethereal hair
he doesn't stare at him with the same pride (adoration?) anymore. it's forced and it saddens him just a tad, but he can't bring such silliness while he's working
not when his own acquaintances, that works with him, are very much dating the boss
they bring out the best of him, they really do, so he's happy for him
slight envy could pass his body from time to time, be he accepted a long time ago that he'd never get to know Norman to deeper level
outside office doors they were awkward and friendly. just how it meant to be
the bathroom door opens
"The Princess arrived"
---
Cislo remembers Hayato's expression like it was his own. The utter shock in his face when he found out about the trio dating was absolutely priceless. it's cute, He admits, how clueless hayato is sometimes.
it wasn't such a surprise for him but it still slightly surprised him. Boss always seemed oddly radiant when talking about his ginger friend. he thought boss would date Emma and Emma only
he didn't know he had a thing for guys
he didn't even know you could date two people!
he sagged in the couch, happy to have avoided the unnecessary dinner. Barbara may kill him later, he might have to listen to the higher ups scolding him, but it's worth it
the television still plays, even when his mind keeps wandering around
Boss would never let the higher ups fire him, would he?
he shook his head at the thought, anxiety filling him to the brim, boss would never
he opened the beer in his hands, boss was too good
years ago he'd laugh at whoever dared to call boss 'too good'. Boss was, and still is,cold and practical. his methods not as sacrificial as they once were, but he's still straight to the point and intimidating
it's those two, he keeps thinking. They softened boss incredibly.they already did before they started to date, softening his facial features only with their presence
he remembers how boss smiled when Emma blew on her candles the day she turned twenty. he remembers how smitten he looked
Barbara called boss and Ray 'rivals', and after that day he can't stop himself from thinking about all the teasing smirks and pink dusted cheeks alongside chess pieces and work papers he saw
what love can do to a person, he sips his beer