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Arvid knew he was doomed the second his eyes fully focused on Liam for the first time.
It’s not like he hadn’t seen a myriad of photos and videos of his future teammate by now, but none came even remotely close to making him justice—and that was a problem. A very serious problem, at that.
“Liam. It’s nice to finally meet you. I have heard a lot about you.” Liam greets politely, extending his hand to shake Arvid’s.
Great. Even his voice is prettier in person. “The name is Arvid. Glad to meet you too.” Arvid barely manages without his voice cracking, as his mind is hyper aware of how soft Liam’s hand happened to be, especially for someone who plays the guitar as much as he does.
Which is something Arvid just happens to know by pure coincidence. It’s not like he knows things about Liam that a complete stranger would not know or anything like that.
Arvid’s surprise must have been clearly evident, as Liam looks back at him with an eyebrow raised, amused at his behaviour but hopefully mistaking Arvid’s weird reaction for nervousness.
“I hope we get along this season, and any that may follow.” Liam declares, closing the hold he had on Arvid’s hand as he shakes it, and maybe Arvid should not read that much into that comment.
It’s just a considerate statement to make when meeting a new coworker, so he really shouldn’t focus on the way Liam spoke of a future that included him in such a casual manner.
Arvid does anyways, as he unintentionally falls into the bottomless pit that the grayish-green hue of Liam’s eyes happen to be. They were just so beautiful, and Arvid feels his breath get caught in his lungs at the realization.
If Liam notices the way he lost himself for a moment there, he thankfully doesn’t comment on it, and Arvid is somehow both really grateful and slightly disappointed, as he clearly is the only one who seemed to be shaken by the other’s presence.
That’s good, though. Liam is either straight, or Arvid is just not his type, and that’s fine. Golden, even.
The last thing Arvid needs is for feelings to be involved, especially when he is supposed to be fully focused on proving the Animals™ that they made a good call by giving him this chance.
Arvid’s inner monologue has no chance to continue, as more people enter the conference room that was meant to hold their first meeting as a group, and naturally Liam goes to sit on the opposite side of the table next to his team.
The seating arrangement meant that Arvid and Liam sat right across from each other, and that was once again an impediment to Arvid’s ability to focus, and he really needed to be able to pay attention to their principal’s words right now.
A task that was becoming increasingly difficult as whenever Liam shifted in his chair to get comfortable, Arvid’s eyes would follow him without his permission.
“Can I have your number?” Liam requests, coming closer to Arvid once again, as people started to vacate the room, now that the meeting had come to an end.
“You already do.” Arvid points out, doing a terrible job at not feeling dissatisfied at the idea of Liam not deeming him worth keeping on his contact list, especially considering that he had been part of the Animals™ group chat for days by now.
They had even exchanged a greeting through text before meeting in person today, so excuse Arvid for feeling just the tiniest of neglected.
Liam just laughs at his question, as if he is being the irrational one here, and Arvid cannot help the pout that his lips form.
“Very funny, mate. I meant your personal number, not your work contact, you muppet. Of course, I already got that one.”
Oh. Arvid had not considered that possibility, and now he feels a little bit dumb at his initial reaction, but he gets over it rather quickly, as he decides to focus on the fact that Liam wanted to chat with him outside of work-related topics.
He registers his contact on the phone Liam handed him, and before he gets the chance to speak again, Arvid is interrupted by his manager coming to get him, as they have another meeting to attend.
“See you around, Arvid.” Liam says smiling, as he waves him goodbye.