Office Follies

Warnings: a little violence
Beta: the first half of the chapter, the rest will come
Notes:
Thank you for your respond! As a proper respond I give you a second chapter!

I’ll warn you right now, which anyone having read my earlier stories will understand, that the characterization in this story is far from what I usually do. I’m still confident I’ll manage to finish this story, this or the next year ;^^

Please keep reviewing even though this story won’t be as frequently hardcory as ttac :p


2

It was dark outside and long past dinner. Seifer threw a glance at the desk clock before returning to the papers at hand. The intercom still showed red beside the “do not disturb” button. Two hours. Two hours the CEO had been stuck in some kind of crisis telephone conference. The blond groaned and stretched.

He was done for today, really, but Squall might need him. Never knew what idiotic things came up that couldn’t wait a day or two. Why this bloody rush all the time? Made a guy exhausted just thinking about it. Griever would skin him. Then again, the lazy bum usually slept like the dead until Seifer came home. At least he slept when Seifer left and usually when he returned…

Almasy rose to stroll up and down along the corridor. Most people had gone home now and the office was dark. When he had strolled back and forth a good five times, the intercom shone green again. He sat down in his chair, swirling back and forth. He was hungry. Exhaustion had made him sleep at least five hours that night and by morning he had been starved.

Another twenty minutes past and Seifer scowled at the watch. Hyne, what was taking so long? What couldn’t possible wait until reasonable day hours? He usually didn’t intrude on the man, but Seifer wanted home. He wanted food and away from the stuffy office though duty held him there.

Knocking three times before entering, Seifer made sure to be as quiet as possible. Just in case the brunet was immersed in something. Squall straightened in his chair and Seifer wondered if the man had tried to take a nap.

“Seifer… You still here?” Leonhart groused and stared at his watch.

“Yes sir, is there anything I should know for tomorrow?” he asked hoping it wasn’t.

Squall gave him a once over. That kind of glance that was felt wherever those eyes traveled. It always managed to make Seifer self-conscious and he couldn’t help but straighten a little. It always never failed to make him feel weird. Was that anyway to look at another person?

“Yes, there are some changes,” Squall sighed.

They spent the next thirty minutes going over schedule changes and letter writing. Apparently someone had messed up a shipment of something. Seifer was relieved that Squall took charge and decided his own schedule for once. Though the blond made suggestions since the man apparently thought lunch time and break time was justifiable work hours. Hyne, for a man working thirteen hours or more a day he didn’t take very good care to have those few breaks.

“See you tomorrow then, sir,” Seifer said with a nod before turning to leave.

He had barely packed up his things and grabbed his coat until Squall came out of the office. He didn’t have an over coat like Seifer, then again, he had a car. The brunet smiled. A small stretch of his lips that seldom reached his eyes. Seifer had never seen anyone smile like that before he came to the city.

“Have you eaten yet?” Leonhart asked softly.

“No,” the blond answered while shrugging on the trench coat.

“Good I’ll treat you,” Squall smirked and started towards the elevators.

Seifer blinked rapidly. Treat him? He hurried after.

“That’s… really not necessary.”

“Of course it is, you missed your precious dinner just to wait for me. Don’t worry, I’ll take you to some less fancy place,” Squall smirked and called for the elevator.

Blue-grey eyes held him for a moment, seeming to dare him to object. Really, there was no declining your boss. He could deal with a grumpy cat, a pissed off boss was another matter.

“A guy has to eat I suppose,” he said slowly and Squall chuckled.

He almost jumped as a hand lay on his arm.

“This… where’d you buy it?” Leonhart asked and rubbed the fabric of the trench coat.

“This? I don’t know, some shop,” Seifer shrugged.

Wrong thing to say. The fine nose crinkled on the man in part distaste.

“I guess it suits you well enough, but please from now on, go to the proper clothing shops downtown. Just give me the receipt, it’ll be working clothes after all,” Squall smiled but there was the tone and expression that ruled out objections.

Seifer nodded and suppressed a sigh. The elevator dinged open and they entered. The blond took his usual spot along the back wall. The elevator was large but in the middle of day people usually crammed in. He always felt uneasy towering over one of the small ladies. Felt much better having them in front of him than behind him where they could be trampled. So he stood back against the back wall out of habit.

Squall joined him and leaned back, hands in pockets in an uncharacteristic relaxed post.

“What do you like to eat?”

“Home cooked,” Seifer answered too fast.

Stupid answer, it could be seen as an insult to treat him to a restaurant, but Squall chuckled.

“Home cooked huh? I’m sure I can find something suitable. Do you have a girlfriend doing the cooking?” Squall asked dead on.

Seifer couldn’t help but feel a slight blush creeping up his face.

“No… nothing like that,” he said softly and a brown eyebrow arched.

“No one at all? A handsome stud like you should have at least someone,” Squall said slyly, managing to make the blush explode fully.

“I’m not really…” Seifer stammered but fell silent since it seemed wiser.

“Not what? A stud or a womanizer?” the brunet leered.

Seifer had to chough at that comment, heat building in his face in an alarming pace. Squall straightened and the move made Seifer oddly wary of the sharp tongued man. Those grey-blue eyes caught him and he couldn’t look away. The resemblance to Griever was spooky. The predatory gleam, an alluring undertone hiding in the depths. Soft lips parted and were to say something as the elevator suddenly stopped and the doors parted.

A tall man stood on the other side. Seifer’s height though the bulk could be clothes. The man had black hair and intense brown eyes, a sharp face and a mouth quick to turn into a cynical smile. Fitting the dark complex, the man wore a black trench-coat in soft fabric. Squall might have that alluring enigmatic aura, but this man had always stroked Seifer the wrong way. This dark… something that always lurked under the surface made him distrusting of the older man.

“Squall… still here?” he greeted and familiarly stepped up close.

He didn’t give Seifer as much as a glance, but that was the way of Kouri Kohoshi. He didn’t ever acknowledge the peasants unless giving orders. Squall had straightened again and the face turned stony.

“I’m on my way out,” he answered lowly.

“Oh? Eaten anything yet?”

Seifer was quietly amused at the question he himself had received. The blond ignored the two business men and managed to control that stupid blush. Hyne, he should be used to Leonhart’s lewd and impulsive comments by now.

“We’re heading out to get something to eat,” Squall said with a nod in Seifer’s direction.

The move forced the two men to meet each other’s eyes and Seifer regretted that. The once over he got and the… contempt was enough to raise his hackles and it had to show because Kouri sharpened his gaze.

“Oh, with your secretary? What kind of friend would I be to leave you in that position?” Kouri purred very close to the smaller man.

Seifer ground his teeth, oddly irritated and annoyed with the man. What was wrong with them eating dinner together? And what if he was a secretary? Someone had to have that job too.

“I’m fine,” Squall said with a soft scold on his face.

Kouri just smiled.

“Sure you are.”

*****

Squall ground his teeth and fisted his hands in his pockets. Annoying son of a bitch. Just when he had managed to trap the blond. Squall could shoo the other away, but not without revealing his plans for the secretary and he didn’t want Kouri to know. Silly since they had fucked regularly so the whole man on man wasn’t what stopped him. The brunet guessed he just felt protective about the naïve blond.

“What place? Malboro?” Kouri inquired.

“No,” Squall answered dismissingly.

Way to fancy a place. He needed something small and comfortable to not make the country boy tense up. No matter what place he chose, the presence of Kohoshi would still alienate Seifer.

“No? To expensive huh?” the tall man murmured with a glance at the ignorant secretary.

It pricked Squall’s nerves at that subtle insult. The elevator reached the lobby and the three men exited. The brunet made a point of making for the lobby exit instead of the underground garage. To his annoyance Kouri put an arm around his waist to haul him in.

“Cars that way,” he leered.

Squall narrowed his eyes and easily escaped the hold.

“We’re walking,” he explained.

Seifer was waiting by the exit and green eyes studied them contemplatively. The look surprised Squall. Did he guess at the two men’s relation or Kouri’s intentions? The hope of that made Squall’s body hum and he gave a slight leer.

“You could buy me lunch tomorrow instead,” Seifer cooked his head.

Squall felt for rolling his eyes. No, the secretary was as oblivious as always. Or was he?

“I want to eat dinner, and I don’t want to do it alone,” he growled.

“A walk would feel good,” Kouri grinned as he easily caught up with Squall.

The brunet resigned himself.

It was a hassle dragging Seifer along without seeming overly determined while keeping Kouri’s curiosity to a minimum. Thankfully, the blond soon relaxed and just tagged along. When they reached the small restaurant he relaxed even more, much to Squall’s design.

“You want to eat here?” Kohoshi asked incredulously.

“You don’t have to come,” Squall said icily and charged ahead.

True, the restaurant was small and cheap in their eyes. The food was mediocre though the service was splendid. The thick air hung with smoke and noise from the other patrons. Squall demanded a secluded table, of course, and the smiling waiter quickly made a table free. The brunet took place and got the satisfying show of watching the long legged blond cramp down in a chair close to the wall. Somehow he still managed to make the awkward move fluidly and smooth.

Kouri didn’t have the same smoothness. He didn’t ever make himself smaller to fit to his environment, he just demanded more space. Squall glared at the man as knees pressed against each other and the dark haired man grinned. Seifer sat across from him and still managed to not interfere on his space, Kouri was beside him and made a point of touching.

“You go here often?” Kohoshi asked the secretary.

Seifer looked up from the menu and shook his head.

“No, I prefer to make my own food,” he answered with half a shrug.

He didn’t catch Kouri’s amused expression. That amusement that was for lesser people doing, in his eyes, ridicules things. Hyne knew the man never ever made anything on his own. No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry.

“Do you grow the vegetables too?” Kouri jabbed.

“Of course not,” Seifer answered seriously without looking up.

Squall wanted to bang his head in the table at the idiocy of it all. At least the unexpected answer threw Kouri off balance. The man was way too used in intimidating and bullying people. Squall guessed Seifer was as impenetrable by taunts as he was of insinuating lewd jokes.

“Maybe you ought to try it sometime,” Squall said smoothly to the now narrow eyed man.

He didn’t like the shift of expression at all. Thankfully the waiter came and so distracted the dark haired man from further analysis of his secretary. Squall was surprised at the ease in which Seifer ordered his food. He had believed the blond would choose the cheaper choices and not a three course meal. For being so against getting treated, he took full advantage of it. Made Squall start to slightly regret his offer of paying for proper working clothes…

“Do you have two stomachs’?” Kouri asked in amusement.

“No, only the one bottomless pit,” Seifer smirked with that added laughter to green eyes.

Squall eyed the senior carefully at the replay. To his mixed worry and relief, Kouri just studied the blond with a confused curiosity. Damn it. He didn’t need Kouri starting to put things together or worse, start making his own schemes on the blond. The food arrived and gave the brunet a slight respite from guarding his secretary. Kouri soon started ranting about mediocre food and bad wine choices. Used to such rants, Squall ignored it. To his surprise, Seifer actually agreed with the older man.

“They use too little seasoning and I’m sure they could find more high quality meat,” Seifer frowned as he scrutinized the beef.

“The vegetable’s overcooked too, then again, it’s not very expensive,” Seifer continued.

“Not expensive? It costs as much as a good steak at a four star hotel,” Kouri frowned.

“Maybe, but they probably have higher expenses,” the blond countered.

Both men stared at that and Squall wondered if the wine started to get to the man.

“Do explain that,” Kouri demanded with a quirk to his lips.

That quirk that he always got when humoring a lesser person.

“The heating system is old as well as the water pipes. They have an old cooler system too and just smell the air, no proper ventilation. I bet the kitchen could use an upgrade too. See the panels and decorations? I bet it’s been there since the opening twenty years ago,” Seifer quickly explained and waved his hand slightly towards the indicated problems.

To Squall’s amazement, the whole was accurate. He had never thought about such things. How in Hyne’s name had Seifer managed to catch all those details and put it together to surmise the cost and quality of the food? The brunet stared at the blond as if it was a façade he saw and in reality it was hiding a dragon’s treasure. It made him feel in more awe and confusion over his secretary. Then, did Seifer understand all his innuendoes but played ignorant?

“Well… Why’d you not start a restaurant? You seem to have the knowledge,” Kouri said with subdued sarcasm.

“Nah, too much work,” Almasy frowned.

Squall was too shocked to comment on that. His head started spinning around this new discovery of his secretary. Maybe he had been going about this all wrong? Maybe he shouldn’t use the silver gloves?

“Say… what do you think it would cost to turn this place into a high profit restaurant?” Kouri asked as he leaned over the table closer to Almasy.

Squall was sure Seifer would smile and wave it off as something a “novice secretary” couldn’t handle. He had turned that excuse on Squall plenty off times.

“Depends of the base structure. I’d install new heater, air conditioning and ventilation. Probably renew the whole kitchen and dining area too,” Seifer shrugged.

Squall started to grind his jaws hard. Why was he so damn amiable now? When he had thwarted Squall over and over again, granted it hadn’t been about restaurants… Kouri suddenly made a very please smile and dark eyes were calculating. Squall felt his hackles rise as he caught the sudden gleam to those eyes.

“You will not monopolize my secretary, I’m not giving him up,” Squall growled.

Kouri looked down at him with a smirk and Seifer looked at him in confusion. Don’t dare to give Squall that gullible look when he just had proved to have some brain activity behind green eyes.

“No? Sure I can’t convince you otherwise?” the senior purred and his hand glided over Squall’s thigh up to his crotch.

The brunet glare, not reacting to the touch at all. Quick like a weasel, the man turned to the blond.

“Say, would you want to join in on a menege trios?” he leered, leaving the blond completely confused.

“No!” Squall growled forcefully.

Seifer blinked even more befuddled at him and the cunning bastard leered, tightening his hand on Squall’s thigh.

“Why not?”

“What’s a menege trios?”

Squall rolled his eyes and begged Hyne to give him patience.

*****

It was a damn relief to finally leave the restaurant behind and be heading back. Squall couldn’t separate the two men fast enough. This was proving to be a complete and utterly disastrous evening. Thank heavens Seifer hadn’t understood that query, even if Squall had to pull teeth to force the subject down. Needles to say, he was in a bad, dark mood. The only upside to that was that both men kept as nice as possible and finally Kouri stopped jabbing either of them.

Unfortunately, Leonhart had no disillusions about the man not understanding his intentions with Seifer. How much Seifer actually was understanding or not was another headache. Hyne, he wished he could turn back the time and allow Seifer to slip away and buy him lunch instead.

“Do you have a car?” Kohoshi asked the blond that answered no.

“I’ll drive him,” Squall growled and Kouri just smiled at that, not arguing.

“You shouldn’t drive at all. I’ll take the subway, you should take a cab,” Seifer scolded and Squall almost sobbed.

The scold just made Kouri even more curious.

“I’ll drive if I damn well wish too,” the brunet growled.

Seifer thankfully just shrugged. They could see the entrance to the garage now on the backside of the company building. The exit led out to a backstreet where the traffic tended to be lighter than on the front of the building. Kohoshi was inquiring about Seifer taking the subway, didn’t Squall pay him enough to get a car? Seifer answered meekly that, of course Squall did, he just needed the money for other stuff. Leonhart lengthened his steps until the conversation was somewhat muted behind him.

He blamed his bad mood and slight depression on alcohol and too much stress. Tomorrow this might just seem like a bad joke. Maybe Kohoshi wouldn’t keep his interest in the blond and hopefully everything could go back to its normal, peaceful ways.

Suddenly a dark figure stepped in front of the brunet. Squall was to veer around the man as the man just shifted. Squall stopped and straightened, prepared to give the nuisance a thorough scolding, as something glimmered in the dark.

“Hand over your wallet, cell phone and watch and make it fast,” the man hissed.

Squall stared dumbly at the glimmering thing that waved slightly back and forth. It took him a couple breaths before he realized it was a knife. Another couple breaths before his brain understood the demand on him. A heartbeat before his stomach tightened and his chest started feeling constricted.

“Hey! D you hear me, dumb ass? Your wallet, cell phone and watch and hurry the fuck up or I’ll cut your fucking throat,” the mugger growled menacingly.

The knife glimmered as it swayed closer. Squall stood paralyzed as the man stepped close, bringing that sharp deadly edge so much closer.

“What’s going on here?” Kouri’s deep commanding voice broke through.

Squall gasped as the mugger fast like a snake grabbed the front of his costume and the blade was so close to his throat he imagined the feel of the cold edge.

“Hand over your fucking wallets or I’ll cut open this fucker!” the man yelled with a frantic tone.

“Okay, relax, no need for violence,” Kouri amiable said and reached into his pockets.

Squall stared at the mugger, still frozen solid. His palms was starting to sweat, something trickled down his spine, is mouth was dry like sand. It was too dark in the alley to make out any proper features.

“Come on mate, you don’t want to do this,” Alamsy’s soothing voice drifted through the air.

“Shut up!”

“Calm down, look, here,” Kouri said tensely.

Squall hitched at his breathing at the feel of the truly sharply edge.

“Just let him go and go home. There are other ways,” Seifer continued.

Had he stopped Kouri from handing over the money? What was he thinking?! Squall roared in his head.

“Back the fuck off or he’s dead!” the mugger yelled.

“Alright, just take the money, ignore him,” Kouri said sharply.

Suddenly everything happened at the same time. Squall felt the blade press into his throat sharp enough to prick, then the man gave a yelp and Squall was free. He could make out Seifer thanks to the blond hair and the other man was the mugger. The ruffian was swearing and throwing threats and insults around, the blade glimmered to the left of the struggling pair.

“Calm down, don’t make things worse,” Seifer tried to sooth.

“Get the fuck of you fucking dimwit. I’ll fucking kill you!”

The criminal gave a pained yelp and the knife clattered to the ground. Squall wanted to do something, knew he should do something but he could just watch.

“Calm down,” Almasy advised, voice strained by the struggle.

His only answer was a tirade of obscene curses and flailing arms and legs. Squall drew a sharp breath as he heard the dull impact of fist against flesh and heard Seifer groan. He absently heard Kouri calling for the police on his cell phone. The struggling par was closer to the street lights and Squall just blinked.

The large blond held the man by the knife hand and Squall couldn’t help but be reminded of a larger dog and a smaller dog fighting over a bone. Seifer’s expression was that of… tolerance. As if he was holding down a disobedient child that refused to take reason.

Squall winced as the mugger hit the blond in the side hard enough to force a growling groan from the man. He shivered at the sudden and alarming shift in green eyes. Then the blond struck out hard. The ruffian’s head snapped back and he sagged to the ground like a deflated balloon. Squall just stared shell shocked at the unconscious man.

He heard Kouri curse something colorful, then green eyes met his. The strangeness in the eyes was gone and as Seifer walked up to him he didn’t show a sign of the short struggle.

“You okay? Are you hurt?” he asked worriedly.

Squall numbly shook his head.

“The police are on the way,” Kohoshi said seconds before they heard sirens.

The thirty-sixty minutes that followed floated past and later Squall would remember it as if a dream. They gave their statements repeatedly. Seifer was scolded and praised for his courage in taking the mugger on. Kouri was making a scene of charging the man for assault and whatnot. Squall repeatedly had to ensure people he was alright even though he had a small prick on his throat.

Squall didn’t snap out of his shock until he was put in a cab between Seifer and Kouri. The senior was still ranting about idiotic criminals and what a hell the little shit would get for assaulting them. Oddly enough, Seifer was a calm and silent presence to his side. Squall looked up at the man but couldn’t discern a trace of worry or sign of what had happened. Green eyes looked down and a blond eyebrow crooked in question. Squall shook his head.

He sank deeper in the cab seat once Kohoshi had been left off. Seifer gave the driver the next destination that happened to be Squall’s home. In the darkness of the cab, the lull of the drive and in the wake of such stress it was easy to let a body have its own way. Being so close to the blond made him painfully aware of him. Of the fragrance that was Seifer, of the calm breaths, the hard body. Hyne, that hard body.

Squall put a hand on the thigh beside his and Seifer looked down in question. It was hard and it twitched of muscles when Squall kneaded it. Seifer’s breath changed subtly. The brunet swelled between his legs, an onslaught of arousal quickening his own breath. His face felt flushed and Seifer frowned in concern. Don’t make that face. As if he thought Squall was sick and not molesting him. As if he was so damn innocent as to not understand the strutting of men around him.

Tired of the play, Squall grabbed the trench-coat on the man before yanking him closer. Seifer’s eyes went wide and he made a gasp as Squall kissed him. The blond was frozen against him, his mouth lax in shock, Squall took advantage. He plundered the unguarded mouth, delved deeper and more desperate when finally getting a taste of what he had longed for.

A hand grabbed his in the trench-coat and the other his hand on the thigh. Squall pressed closer, demanding more. He stabbed at the frozen tongue and got an instinctive stab back. Seifer was retreating against the seat and Squall followed. He made a growl as the seatbelt stopped him and managed to help Seifer escape. Green eyes were wide and stared down at him in such open shock Squall wanted to ravish him. The wetted lips were working soundlessly and the blond cleared his throat.

Squall unbuckled and attacked the mouth again before it could utter any words. Somewhere reason reined Squall back and he kept to only ravish the sweet mouth and hold the man still. He badly wanted to drag his hands across the toned chest, down the abdomen to the slightly parted thighs. He wanted one of those big hands to knead him and stroke him. He let his frustration seep into the kiss instead, let all pent up stress and longing into that simple meeting of mouths. Teasing and demanding the alien tongue to participate, and he slowly got what he wanted.

Large hands did grab him, but to try and push him away. Squall would have none of hit and grabbed the trench-coat harder. Seifer was breathing rapidly and Squall couldn’t tell if it was panic or arousal.

“We’re here, sir,” the cab driver said in a clearing of his throat.

Squall withdrew, staring into wide eyes. They were both breathing sharply. The brunet licked his lips and had to make an effort of will to not drag the man with him. Instead he gave Seifer a long meaningful stare, and left the car.


Author’s Note:
The farm-boy is acting up! And we have a third player on the scene! I just had to add some darker element, I was going nuts ;)