Work Text:
Mhok has never once regretted hiring Phayu. The man had been a legend before he’d even graduated, winning all kinds of awards and making a name for himself. Mhok is very lucky that Phayu had decided to join his company once he graduated. He has no illusions to the fact that it is, in fact, pure luck. He knows Phayu had other offers, more lucrative ones, but for whatever reason, he’d settled for Blue Paper Design.
The biggest drawback of having an employee like Phayu is the fact that the man doesn’t understand the word vacation. Normally it wouldn’t be such an issue but when one member on the team hasn’t taken more than a handful vacation days in the eight years he’s been employed, it becomes a problem. It doesn’t show in his work, immaculate and creative as it is, but Mhok can see the burgeoning signs of burnout in the man. He does not want to be responsible for having one of his most talented architects burning out so young, but Phayu is stubborn.
There has been numerous attempts at getting Phayu to take his vacation days, threats of pay cuts and getting dropped off projects, but it’s not very successful when clients insist on having Phayu on board and his own moral compass won’t allow to actually cut Phayu’s pay.
His one saving grace is the company’s newest hire: Rain.
The man is from the same alma mater as Phayu, a few years his junior, and a veritable ray of sunshine. His creativeness knows no bounds and neither does his spirit.
Mhok doesn’t know if it’s a kinship or something else, but Phayu had decided early on that Rain was his. His protegée, his collaboration partner, his mentee, his… work husband. It would be annoying if it wasn’t so darn adorable.
Phayu’s normally cool, aloof persona completely drops away and he is warm, helpful and - dare Mhok say it? - sweet with Rain. It’s such a change from the Phayu the team has become used to that it makes them all a little nervous. Mhok can see it’s genuine, though. He knows Phayu enough to see that Phayu honestly cares for Rain. Which also means he can’t help but tease them about it.
He calls Rain Phayu’s work husband on a regular basis, delighting in Phayu’s half-annoyed, half-pleased expression and Rain’s embarrassment. It’s even more fun when he switches it up to refer to Rain as Phayu’s work wife. Mhok would be grossed out by the happiness rolling off of both of them if it wasn’t the most adorable thing ever. He’s not even ashamed to admit he has joined the company betting pool on when Phayu will make a move on the younger man. Everyone in the office is in on it.
Phayu’s soft spot for Rain is Mhok’s chance to make Phayu take some of his well-deserved vacation days.
Preferably with Rain.
(If that contributes to Mhok winning the pool, then that’s a bonus.)
“Hey N’Phayu, when are you taking your vacation days?” Mhok smiles, inwardly cheering when Rain, sitting next to Phayu, perks up.
“Oh you have vacations days coming up, P’Phayu?”
“I hadn’t planned on taking any for a while yet,” Phayu answers, voice sweet for Rain but eyes hard for Mhok.
It shouldn’t be as amusing as it is.
“I wish I had some vacation days,” Rain sighs wistfully.
Mhok bites back a happy noise and clears his throat. Rain is perfect, he really is.
“You don’t have any days, nong?” Phayu asks as if he doesn't know.
“No, I’m too new,” Rain responds with a shrug before he smiles widely. “It’s okay. I knew that. I’m looking forward to having them, though.”
Not for the first time, Mhok wonders if Rain understands how Phayu looks at him. Or at least, how differently Phayu looks at him compared to everyone else. Most likely not.
“P’Mhok,” Phayu says slowly. “Can I give N’Rain some of my vacation days?”
“Oh no, Phi! You don’t have to-”
“Hush, nong.”
Mhok fights to keep a straight face as Phayu turns to him, a thoughtful look on his face. “What?”
“Can I donate my days? I have too many.”
Mhok tilts his head. “So you are aware of your vacation days, then?”
Phayu snorts. “Of course I am, Phi, I just don’t need them. If Rain wants them, can I donate to him?”
He can’t.
Company policy clearly states that each individual employee has their set amount of vacation days per year, a handful that can roll over to the next year but never longer than one year, and they cannot be traded for a monetary bonus. (It’s usually never a problem.)
Mhok, however, owns the company and Phayu has been a model employee for all the years he’s worked for Mhok. He can bend one rule for Phayu. Well… for Rain, technically, but honestly it’s for Phayu.
“Well, I suppose you could,” he begins. Rain’s eyes are wide and Phayu’s head is tilted in suspicion. Mhok knows Phayu knows company policy. “On one condition.”
Phayu’s eyes narrow. “What’s the condition?”
“You match Rain’s vacation days.”
“What?”
Mhok smiles benevolently, ignoring the gasps he hears from the people in the office who are very poorly attempting to pretend they aren’t listening in. “For every vacation day you take, Rain gets one vacation day.” He shrugs with feigned nonchalance. “N’Rain is eligible for them soon anyway.” Rain isn’t but only Rain doesn’t know that.
“Phi!”
Mhok wants to coo at the excitement in Rain’s voice, in the way his body almost vibrates in joy, his hands clutching Phayu’s bicep. No one but Rain dares to touch Phayu so casually. Work wife privilege.
“Phi, we could go on vacation together!”
Mhok nearly gasps alongside his colleagues. Only Phayu’s narrowed eyes looking at him with suspicion keeps him from reacting.
“We could,” Phayu says eventually, looking away from Mhok.
“We could go to the beach!”
“We could.”
“Or the mountains!”
“Sure.”
“No, beach is better,” Rain protests his own idea. “You could take me to that place you talked about before!”
Mhok blinks. What?
“I could.”
“Let’s not invite P’Saifah, P’Pai or Sky, though.”
“Let’s not.”
“It would be so much nicer with just the two of us.”
“It would.”
Mhok shakes his head. “I’m sorry, what is happening?”
Phayu smirks and Mhok has the sinking feeling he has just been played. He just doesn’t understand how.
“P’Mhok, can we take three days each in two weeks?” Rain asks, excitement pouring out of him.
“Two days is fine,” Phayu interrupts. “Let’s not be greedy, baby.”
Mhok nearly chokes on his own saliva. Baby? “What?”
Rain’s eyes widen and he claps a hand over his mouth. He points between Phayu and Mhok, blinking rapidly. “P’Phayu!” He slaps Phayu’s arm several times. “You said-”
“I know what I said, darling,” Phayu cuts in smoothly. He covers Rain’s hand with his own. “I figure it’s time to let them know.”
Mhok clears his throat. “Let who know what?”
Phayu’s eyes dart behind Mhok and Mhok will bet every single baht he has in his bank account that the entire office has come to a halt. No one is even pretending not to pay attention to them anymore.
“That N’Rain and I are dating.”
There is a squeal behind Mhok and he feels a similar feeling bubbling up inside. They’re dating?! For how long? (A very small corner of his brain is trying to catalogue who the winner of the betting pool is.)
“Have been for four years.”
“Four years in two weeks,” Rain corrects gently.
Phayu nods. “Four years in two weeks.”
“Four years?!” Mhok chokes out. “That’s before N’Rain started working here!”
Phayu nods again, looking far too amused for Mhok’s liking. “Indeed. Since his third year of university.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
Phayu smirks again. “And rob you of the fun of having a betting pool?”
Mhok coughs. “You knew about that, huh?”
“P’Mhok,” Phayu raises an eyebrow and Mhok feels a school boy in front of the Headmaster all of a sudden. “This office is not subtle. I knew from the start. Which is part of the reason why we decided to not be open about our relationship. I like my private life to be private.” Phayu looks at Rain. “And it wouldn’t be fair to N’Rain. You would all assume he got the job because of me.”
Mhok can see the logic in that. He knows Phayu never had anything to do with the hiring process, but he understands how others might think that he did.
“I’m sorry for lying, P’Mhok,” Rain apologizes. His eyes are big and regretful.
Mhok isn’t a strong man. He waves it away. “It’s fine.” He sits down heavily in the closest chair. “I’m more surprised no one figured it out, honestly.”
Phayu smirks again. “It was easy when you all only saw what you wanted to see.”
Laughter bubbles up and Mhok doesn’t stop it. It serves him right for trying to meddle with his colleagues’ lives. His employees’ lives, even. He’s lucky Phayu is amused by the whole thing or Mhok could have been sued.
“Sooo,” Rain says slowly once Mhok has calmed down, “can we still have our vacation?”
Mhok laughs again. “Sure!” he pushes out. He did say yes before. Having two of his employees out for two days is a small price to pay, really.
Mhok has never once regretted hiring Phayu. He has never once regretted hiring Rain either. The two work really well together and are brilliant architects on their own. That the two of them are dating does not change that. Well… maybe Phayu will be more open to taking his vacation days now. Mhok can probably convince Rain to get Phayu to take his vacation days. Win-win, really.