Work Text:
”I’m covering Jade’s shift tomorrow."
Azul looks up from his papers, but after seeing the annoyed expression on your face, he looks back down.
"I already know; he told me last week. It’s because he is going to Harveston again with Epel."
"Last week?!" You shout. "He asked me to cover his shift this morning!"
It’s a late Friday night, and you and the other closing employees have just finished cleaning up the Mostro Lounge. Fridays are one of the busiest days, but after everything is cleaned up and done with, it becomes the calmest. The dorm itself becomes weirdly quiet; no one is in the dorm lounge or chatting in the dorm room halls.
When you first started working for Azul, the two of you worked together. Although it was awkward at first, the two of you became more comfortable with each other. You did keep some of your guards up though; Azul is a sly businessman after all.
This was the norm for a while, but once more people were hired, Azul wasn’t needed anymore.
It was something that you would look forward to on Friday nights, and now it was gone. Although you wouldn’t admit that you missed Azul’s company, you knew that you did. So, you started to stay late in his office, using any excuse to stay with him. And this night, Jade gave you a good reason to see him rather than, "My legs hurt and I need to rest for a minute."
Azul chuckles at your frustration. "He knew that you would do for him, I suppose. I’m assuming he called this favor in because of what happened during Halloween?"
You sigh and plop yourself onto the couch.
"Yeah, I did owe him for helping Grim and me with some difficulties. But still, he just sprung this upon me with no warning!"
"I don’t know what to tell you," Azul sighs. "You agreed to do it, and you owed him; you have to deal with it."
Wow, Azul, thank you so much for the great advice," you say sarcastically. "You really don’t care for your favorite employee, do you?"
Azul scoffs: "I don’t have favorites, and if I did, my favorite employee would be one who would never complain about schedules."
You choose to ignore Azul’s hurtful words and make yourself comfortable on the couch, grabbing a pillow or two to cuddle with. Pulling out your phone, you scroll mindlessly on Magicam.
There was a brief silence between the two of you, and Azul was the first to break it. He looks up for a moment to see what you’re doing.
"I see that you have made yourself comfortable."
"Hm? Oh yeah, well, I wanted to wait for you to be done comfortably," you sigh. "You take forever with paperwork."
"Then why don’t you go back to Ramshackle? I still have some work to get through; I don’t want to keep you waiting for too long."
"It’s fine; don’t worry about it! I get to stay here and mope about Jade a little bit longer then."
Azul pauses for a moment.
"Why do you stay here with me?"
You look up from your phone and face him.
"Hm? What are you talking about?" You try to sound clueless.
"You know what I’m talking about; you’re not an idiot. Why do you stay here with me so late?"
"Well, do you mind that I do?"
"No, I didn’t say that," a slight smile creeps upon his face, "but you should be getting some rest, especially since you’re covering Jade’s shift tomorrow."
"Is someone being nice for once?" you joke. "Well, I’m glad that you don’t mind me staying... I don’t want you to be too lonely."
A slight blush appears on Azul's cheeks after hearing your words.
"I’m quite fine all by myself, plus I didn’t know you cared so much about little old me," he says smugly with a smirk.
"Wipe that smirk off your face; I’m just being a good employee. And a good employee gets a promotion."
"So, that’s why you’re here? My, my, and I thought you were just a kind person."
"Well, kindness can come in many forms," you reply with a playful smile.
Both of you laugh, enjoying the light-hearted banter. You look at the clock; an hour has passed by so quickly. You look over to Azul's desk and see a small stack of papers still left for him to work on. Since you were so close to his desk, you noticed how effortlessly he navigated through the documents, his attention to detail evident in every stroke of his pen.
"Do you want coffee? Or maybe some tea? I can go get some for you from the kitchen."
"That's not necessary; you and the other closing staff have already cleaned everything up in there."
"I won't make a total mess, Azul," you scoff. "Even though you're getting through those documents pretty quickly, we're going to be here for a while."
Azul looked at you with a mix of amusement and determination in his eyes. "You underestimate my efficiency," he replied with a smirk. "But I appreciate the offer. How about we take a short break instead?
"Azul taking a break? I'm in shock!" You gasped jokingly.
"Even I get tired of such boring and monotonous work," he says dramatically. "How about we go and stretch our legs?"
Azul puts his pen down and gets up from his chair. He stretches his arms while yawning. He looked just like a cat.
He walks over to the couch and puts his hand out.
"Come on."
You look at his face; his smirk is unwavering. He holds out his gloved hand just like a prince would.
"Since when were you such a gentleman?" you chuckle as you grab his hand firmly.
The pillows you were cuddling with fall back on the couch as he gently pulls you up.
"I've always been one, especially with you."
Hearing his words makes you blush, and he watches in amusement as it spreads across your face.
"Don't get all flustered over some simple actions," he teases.
The two of you make your way to the exit and out to the hall of mirrors. As you two walked through the eerily silent halls, only your footsteps could be heard. Everyone was either in their dorms having fun or had gotten a pass to stay off campus for the weekend.
"It's kind of creepy when no one is out and about," you comment, glancing around at the empty hallways.
He chuckles softly. "I find it quite nice; in truth, I don't handle bustling places very well."
"Really now? You handle the Mostro Lounge quite well, especially when it's incredibly busy."
"Well, that's my job after all. The Mostro Lounge is my passion, and I have to do what I have to do for it to be successful. Even when it's dealing with less than gentlemanly guests," he sighs.
"Like that one creepy Heartslabyul student," you add, remembering the incident vividly. "He was constantly bothering other customers and making everyone generally uncomfortable."
"Yeah, that guy was a real nuisance," he replies, shaking his head. "But you know what they say: every business has its fair share of difficult customers. It's all about how you handle them."
"And you handle them way too nicely," you scoff. "You always try to find a diplomatic solution, even when they don't deserve it. It's impressive, really. But sometimes, I wish you would just...punch them, you know?"
"You sound like Floyd."
"Don't compare me with him!" you exclaim. Oh, on that note, where is Floyd tonight?"
"He's at the dinner party Kalim is throwing," he sighs. "I wish I could have attended; it would have been a great way to promote the new items on the menu."
"But duty calls, and someone has to do all that gruesome paperwork," you say with a dramatic flair. "Speaking of which, how are the new items on the menu? I was in the hostess position today."
Azul smiles, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, they're doing exceptionally well. The customers can't get enough of the grilled salmon with lemon butter sauce and the decadent chocolate lava cake."
"How come you didn't ask your favorite employee to taste-test?" You tease him, playfully nudging him.
He chuckles, shaking his head. "Believe me, if I had the chance, I would have gladly enlisted your expert taste buds," he replies. "But you know how it is; I had to keep it all under wraps until the official launch. Plus, I didn't want to spoil the surprise for you."
You feign offense, pretending to be hurt by his exclusion. "Well, next time you better remember who the real food connoisseur is around here," you say with a mischievous grin. He laughs and promises that you'll be the first to try any future additions to the menu.
As much as you enjoy your banter with him, you know that he values your opinion and appreciates all your hard work, even when you pretend to be offended.
The long walk Azul led you on eventually ends when you come to a flight of stairs. You didn't notice where the two of you had been walking all this time, but you didn't recognize this part of the school.
"Where are we?" you ask, looking over to Azul.
A mischievous smile grew on his face as he looked at you.
"Why don't you find out?"
With your curiosity piqued, you climb the stairs, Azul following closely behind. As you reach the top and open the door before you, you're greeted by a breathtaking view of the campus.
"I didn't know anyone could come all the way up here..." you trail off, hypnotized by the night sky before you.
The stars in the sky shone like glitter across the black sky. The crescent moon hung low, casting a soft glow over the landscape below. The cool night air whispered through the trees, carrying with it a sense of tranquility. Azul's presence beside you only added to the magic of the moment. As you looked over at him, he looked almost unreal. His pale skin reflected the light of the moon, and his eyes sparkled brightly while looking at the stars.
"Didn't you learn that it's rude to stare?" he says playfully.
You couldn't help but smile at his teasing remark. His voice was soothing. The playful glint in his eyes made your heart skip a beat.
"I want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Why do you stay back with me so late even after your shift is over?"
"You're still hung up on that?" you ask softly. "Well, do you really want to know the truth?"
"Teasing your boss doesn't make you favorable for a promotion," he says, moving closer to your side.
"Well, I'm off the clock, and so are you."
His question lingers in the air, filled with curiosity and a hint of vulnerability. As you meet his gaze, you realize that there is no time like the present. You turn your face to the sky and take a deep breath.
"I missed your company after you stopped closing with me. Our late-night conversations were something I looked forward to. I didn't know if you wanted to spend time with me or not, so I pretended to need something, or I had to tell you something to stay behind with you. " You pause for a moment, your face turning red as you hear your words. "Can you say something, please?"
You turned to Azul and found him gazing at you intently. His eyes were filled with a mixture of surprise and affection, as if he had been waiting for these words to escape your lips. The silence between you both was palpable, and the weight of your confession hung in the air.
Azul's lips curled into a gentle smile, and he finally spoke. "I've missed our late-night conversations too," he admitted. "I never wanted to stop closing with you." His honesty washed over you like a warm embrace, easing the tension that had built up within you. You couldn't help but feel a surge of relief and joy at his response. At that moment, it became clear that your connection went beyond mere friendship. It was something deeper, something worth exploring further.
He grabbed your waist and pulled you closer to him. His face was red, and his breath was rugged. You could hear his heart beating at a mile per minute.
"You should have told me sooner," he whispered in your ear.
Feeling his breath on your skin made you shiver.
"I didn't know you felt the same."
You grab his tie, pulling him into a kiss. His soft lips pressed gently into yours as he placed his hand on your cheek.
The two of you parted, breathless yet still filled with longing. Without another word, Azul pulls you back in, and his hands start to wander along your body. You run your hands through his hair, making him let out a small groan.
"Mmm." Azul pulls back.
"It sounded like someone liked that," you say teasingly.
He flashes you a quick smirk and starts to kiss your neck. It was sudden, but not unwanted in the slightest.
His lips trailed down from your jawline to your collar bone, leaving marks each time.
"Azul," you mumble.
He looks up at your red face, and your expression makes him smile.
"You’re cute when you’re flustered."
"I could say the same for you," you chuckle. "I would like to keep this going, but it’s already late. Like you said earlier, I need to rest since I’m covering for Jade."
Azul lets go of your waist and grabs his phone from his jacket pocket. The bright screen makes him squint his eyes. It was already 1 A.M. Azul sighed, seeing the time.
"You're right; I don’t want you to be tired because of me," he murmured.
"You know, after my shift, we could pick up from where we started."
"I like the sound of that," he says with a smirk.