Dedicated to:
@niyok2007
Your comments make the stars smile
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Taking another look at my desk I make sure that I have all the papers that need to be handed to Azrael are in my own hand, and then confirming that I do walk out of my office. Taking a few steps I walk to Azrael's office and after the usual nock and 'enter' that happens each time, I go in.
It's been about a week since we went to Vita Bona Inc. and got the papers, and we sent the required forms back to Dean. Other jobs have popped up and now we handle those. Right now there's an issue with some part of the mid-west that is going through a drought and requires some aid. The supply has been damaged and the price that is being set now is a little hard to deal with. So as one of the major firms, well, really the only one, Azrael has stated that it would be bad as a business partner to leave them out to hang.
So that means that we as a firm are lowering the prices of the market artificially but still preserving the income of the farmers who are mostly involved. And right now were trying to accomplish that.
"I brought the papers that you required me to complete," I say as I walk up to Azrael's desk.
Azrael has a good number of papers on his desk and also he types aggressively on the keys of his computer. He also has candy wrappers crinkled and crunched up around the garbage can and on his desk as well.
Hearing me near, Azrael turns from his computer with a lollipop in his mouth. His eyes are a little red but he smiles as he sees me.
"Thank you, Hogarth. You're an irreplaceable person that I can't operate without," says Azrael, and I feel my heart jump in my chest with sparks flying out.
"It's no trouble," I manage to say and hand him the papers.
Azrael takes them and leaning back in his chair he looks at the papers and flips through them. He also sighs in respite as he does so, pulling the sugar-red lollipop out of his mouth and holding it in his hand.
"Your work is immaculate as ever," says Azrael as he smiles and puts the said forms on a stack of papers that are done now, "I wish that I was as efficient."
"I'm not that good," I say modestly, "I just am able to focus on something very well."
"Well," says Azrael as he leans forward across the desk and picks up another stack of papers, "I have more work for you to focus on. Right here."
Grabbing the stack he notices the papers are not held together with a binder clip, and he pulls open the drawer in front of him where among the calculator of his are other office supplies. He pulls from the drawer a little box of binder clips, each different colors. He also sticks the lollipop back in his mouth.
"What's your favorite color?" asks Azrael, his grey eyes connecting with mine and I also see his tongue move around the lollipop as he talks. Somehow I can answer him.
"Blue," I say.
Azrael nods and pulls out a corresponding clip and binds the papers together before sliding it across the desk to me.
"I'd like that to be done by tomorrow," he says.
"I can do that," I say as I flip through the stack and note that I can get this done. Azrael looks down at his watch to note the time.
"Hmm. Four-thirty-six. Almost time to wrap it up," he says.
"Almost," I say as I agree, then curious, I ask, "do you have plans for the evening?"
"Not much. Just stop by the gym downstairs and then head home for a quiet evening."
"What kind of workout do you do?" I ask, pretending to not know what I do.
"I tend to run," answers Azrael as he leans back in his chair, "sometimes I try to do weights, but as you may notice, I'm not quite the body type for that."
Azrael raises his arms, which if I were to be fair aren't the thickest, but surely aren't thin. They have muscles that would fit in between straight and circular lines.
"Have you been to the gym downstairs?" asks Azrael, "I know Levi told you about it."
"I have," I reply, "I used it to lift weights. Hence I guess I'm rather buff."
"Well," says Azrael chuckles, "if I ever go to a meeting that turns south, I can say that you're my competent bodyguard. How about that, eh?"
"I think that would work well," I say with my own chuckle.
Azrael laughs and throws his head back a little. I see his Adam's apple bob as he does so, and his radiant smile that's only there for a split second is nice to hold for a long time in my mind.
"Well," says Azrael, "getting back to the talk about the gym, you are free to use it any time you wish."
"Actually," I say as I recall my own plan for the night, "I was planning on working out too."
"Oh, really?" says Azrael, "Well, I guess I won't be lonely when I do work out."
"Are you going now?" I ask.
"Not quite yet," says Azrael, "I still have to figure out what I am to do for this coming week. That is...Thanksgiving."
That's true. He hadn't given me a response yet if he was going to come to my house for the holiday, and it would be around now that I'd need to know. Next week is when the holiday is, and Azrael has already started to allow people to go home for the break. I'm going to fly home soon, as my parents would like me there, and Azrael knows that I'm leaving on Tuesday and will be back in a week.
I'd like him to be there. If he's willing to go with me, I'm willing to take him to my house.
"You can still come to my house," I say as I recall how my parents said they wouldn't mind having Azrael over.
"I...I really wouldn't want to intrude. I would also think that it'd be uncomfortable if you took your date home with you," says Azrael.
"Oh...uh. We broke up," I say, not embarrassed, but just stating the fact simply.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," says Azrael.
"But it wouldn't be any trouble at all to have you, again," I say, trying to hook him onto my offer.
"Well, I'm thankful," says Azrael, "and I don't want to say that it's not anything I want to get involved with, but I will say no thank you this time. Thinking now, I have to actually stay here for this new bit of admin that I need to sort out. Hence, I'm booked for all of next week."
Thinking quick, as I want him to be with me for the holiday, I pull out my wild card of why I've been hired.
"Um, I can't allow that," I say as I step closer to his desk, and Azrael looks up confused, "you need to not work next week."
Azrael tilts his head and is about to say something but I talk first.
"You have to take care of your health. Breaks every now and then are important as well. And I'd be neglecting my job if I let you just work through another week when you could rest."
Azrael sits quiet for a moment, and I'm scared that he's mad but he smiles slowly.
"You're right," he says, with a chuckle, "I almost forgot that I need to rest my body. It wouldn't do for me to collapse."
"No it wouldn't," I agree earnestly, "and since you're taking a break, you should come with me to my home in Texas. It all works perfectly."
Even I realize how much I'm pushing Azrael to come with me to my home. That I'm trying to sell the offer to him. Azrael though seems to be taking it as a kind offer and doesn't seem to be perturbed by my eager nature.
"Well, I guess you're the one in charge of that part of my life," says Azrael, and when he says that I feel a shiver tickle my spine, "so I will humbly accept that offer."
I smile, but it's more of how I triumphantly got Azrael to be with me for a holiday, outside of our workplace. In a sense I've got him to agree to a date. A holiday date, and I can't help but look forward to when we do travel.
"But that aside," says Azrael as he reaches out and puts the papers on his desk in a surprisingly deft stack. The single movement has cleared his desk and before I can raise a foot to move Azrael has already stood up from his desk and walks over to the couch where he has set his bags and picked them up.
"I'll see you in the gym. I think I'll get started on my usual five mile run," he says as he picks up another bag that obviously is a workout bag.
"Okay," I say and Azrael nods before walking over to the door of his office door.
I don't realize I'm alone in his office for a moment, but when I do I dash out of there and grab my bags from my office before running out to the elevator. Luckily Levi isn't around to see me rush after Azrael.
The elevator doesn't come quick enough even if I press the buttons a thousand times. After the minute of waiting I finally am on the same floor as Azrael, the gym floor. Stepping of the elevator, I'm just there as Azrael walks out of the locker room changed and heading across to the gym. He smiles and waves as he walks into the gym through the glass doors.
Hurrying into the locker rooms, I change. It's not only that I'm wanting to be near him, but I want to also maybe show off the guns on my arms. I'm aware that I'm a beefcake, maybe more than that actually, and it doesn't escape me that I can use that to hook Azrael.
Right now, because I want to start a relationship Azrael, I'm trying to get him to ask me. I can't ask him probably because it wouldn't be appropriate to ask him as his subordinate. But as my boss, it wouldn't be proper either for him to ask me out. But in that case, I would never be able to be with him, which I refuse to believe.
So right now, I have to catch his eye. I've never tried to do that to anyone before, not even Christine, so this'll be new to me. But I'm determined, and I'm pretty sure I can get Azrael.
After changing, I walk out to the gym and note that Azrael is running on a treadmill already. It's not as fast as it was when I walked in the first time I saw him here, but I'm guessing that he's going to sprint out maybe the last tiny portion of his run.
I think that if I lift weights in a place where I'm visible to him maybe that'll help out. There's not a spot directly in front of where Azrael is running that I can do that, but off to the side there is. Going there, I start doing my exercise with a little more weight than usual. In my mind I think that it'll make a mouthwatering spectacle for Azrael.
That is, if he likes muscles, and boys on top of that.
I haven't found anything that might have told my boldly that Azrael does exactly like boys. But, you never know. Not to mention that he has said that I'm his favorite. So that must mean something.
I'm just thinking that I may be doing this for nothing when my posture slips and the weight I'm holding tips slightly. I let out a sound in surprise, and Azrael also notices as I hear the sound of the treadmill stop. From behind Azrael walks around and helps me push up the weight and stow it.
"You alright?" he asks, clearly worried after I set it down with his help.
"Yeah," I say as I wipe my brow as I've perspired some bit from my exercise, "I think I may have put too much weight on."
"Take care of yourself. You might have to look out for my health, but you also have to care for your own safety, you know," says Azrael as he pats my arm.
"Yeah," I say as I realize the proximity our panting and sweaty bodies share.
I'm just about to move away when Azrael realizes our proximity as well. His eyes glance down at my shirt that is soaked and the lines that cross my torso catches his eye. He then looks back up at my eyes, and then blushes. His eyes look down and the redness expands to his ears and also intensifies.
"Err, well. I'm going to go back to running," he says, and quickly goes back to his treadmill.
But now I know, at least to some extent, that I made him embarrassed at staring at my body. And the only reason he'd be embarrassed, is because I saw him checking me out. And he didn't want me to see him observing me.
That is, he's perhaps interested.
So maybe there's hope for me. Hope that I can be his one day and him mine. And my pursuits now aren't futile as they seemed a minute ago.
Looking over, I see that Azrael is running. But he can't run from me. As I'll keep trying.