♤SPRING SHIELD (MxM) ~fantasy~♤

Death of realism

Kristian

Lots and lots of first days.
My first day today is work. I'm back in the office. Just a job to sustain myself as I find what I lost. Yesterday I ended up sleeping in Hotel DeLyris as I begin my search for an actual place to stay.
Then I had a pretty okay night. Woke up and came to work in the same company that I had before I had the accident. Memories pulse in the subtleties of the room I sit in,they whisper to me through the colours and smells.
And most of all the face in front of me,"It's such a relief knowing that you're not.. you know dead."the man,Bradley,says to me from his desk with a huge glass name on it. He's the boss,head of business in R&D. What I'm told used to be my position seven years ago.
"It all happened so fast,you were there one second the next your not. It ripped a Kristian sized hole in the company really."he's extremely laid back. I can tell from the way he sits,leaning into his chair,the lazy way he's hands grip the stress relief toy that he's been fidgeting with. Which all in all is a relief.
This man in a suit with a tie that I'm noticing  has tiny bananas as a pattern and trimmed blonde hair,is going to be my boss. "So,doc,you're sure you wanna be back as my assistant?"he says with a raised brow and I nod,
"Of course I'm sure,boss."
"Please,for the love of Lyria,don't call me boss. I used to be your assistant back in the day,you know?"that makes sense. Why he's so young and has this position already,"And when you left,it really did a number on me. On all of us,but it's okay now your back."
"I'm back,indeed."I say sliding my resume over to him,hoping that the management work I did at my mother's diner counts to fill in the seven year gap. He pushes it to the side after a single look,
"You'll still make us cookies and muffins on Fridays,right?"I'm too late to stop the bewildered face I make in his direction. I can't remember ever making cookies or muffins for my colleagues seven years ago. I don't think I was ever a skilled baker.
Was I?
My head starts to ache as I struggle to recall but Bradley pulls me out of it,"it must suck for you,having all those memories stuck in your head like their in a coffin."he says pitifully,and I accept it. Although pity has become one of my pet peeves over the years of my recovery,I know Bradley means no harm.
"Yeah,a little bit."I say with a tight smile,hoping that no one else notices memory. Or lack there of. He gives me a small curve of his lips before continuing,
"Tell you what,the guy at the top says because of your condition we need you to work for three days. Your ability to catch on and will help you... pass the test per say."Three days then I'm hired. That's it. I can totally do that.
"Okay,then."
"Cool,we have a meeting in like five minutes,so gear up."that was fast. I reach over to take the file he's handing me to read,his attention stuck on his luxury watch,
A briefing on a project. A home security system that provides instant information regarding dark creatures. "Did we come up with this?"I ask,in awe of how detailed the plan is,whoever made it is insanely passionate and articulate in the way they convey things.
"No,an engineer from Lewis Corp did."
"Lewis Corp? The company we'll be doing a collaboration with?"I ask as we walk through the hall to enter the elevator,
"Yeah,their coming over for a meeting but don't worry with a fancy suit like yours you can just show up and stand there like a prop,no one will notice."he presses the floor five button to the meeting rooms and the sliding doors almost close all the way before we both here a bang.
A black stiletto separates the two doors and a perfectly manicured hand with blood red nails pulls them open again. A woman with a black and white pant suit walks in,her hips almost animatedly flowing from side to side,
"Bradley."she says,her red lips smacking before she speaks,
"Caroline."he says back with a tentive eye roll that I can feel radiate from him,"Kristian is back as my assistant just so you know."he says,almost like its something to show off.
Considering my resume is long and I happen to remember my gruelling college days,I think that I was an office ace seven years ago. Which feels so... out of place for me now.
"Oh? Well,we missed you,it's a shame knowing children made such a gap in your career."her voice is high and sugary. But if you peel off the layer of sickeningly sweet heavy and pure sarcasm is all you'll have left.
Bradley pushes foward and I stop him,I say nothing to her. But it's doesn't stop my hand from wandering to the surgical scar on my stomach. A C-section wound. It's a clean cut along my abdomen with interval bumps from stitches.
The doctors said they had no way of telling me whether or not I had had twins. But a recurring dream of blurry faced babies in my arms tells me I did. Tells me that they might just be what I lost but- no one believes me when I say I want to find them.
Say that sometimes I hear their stirs and small cries for attention fading into the back of my mind.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again,Caroline."I say with a smile and she seems discomfort-ed by it. Like it wasn't the reaction I was supposed to have. We walk out of the elevator and my legs start to burn at the pace I'm walking but I'm still ahead of Bradley as I walk.
"Don't let her bother you."Bradley tells me as I continue to skim the pages of the briefing,
"I won't."I say in an offhand manner,as I open the door of the meeting room for him,"after you."
"If you say so,doc."
It's a small but spacious room,surrounded by clear glass windows that make light pour in at every turn. A table at the center with other briefing files next to each of the six chairs. The meeting begins at ten am exactly. And when my clock turns from nine fifty nine to ten the door to the meeting room opens. I twist with my heel and the man who opened the door nearly bumps into me,causing a certain colonge to run up my nostrils and fill my lungs with of pollen if it were... less sweet and more musky. It can't be.
Then I make a sound of surprise and this deep,polite voice apologies to me- well almost before he stops and his pair of forest green eyes dig into my soul with conviction. Its him. The man I yelled at yesterday for being a terrible dad.
I never thought it was possible to watch someone,in real time slowly place who the hell you are. His thick brows bend inwards and his gaze flickers around searching me,but I jump around him and face the wall so closely that I might just be THE wall.
I pretend I'm straightening the curtain. Who straightens curtains? People so humiliated they can't face foward. "My apologies,Mr..."he says,seemingly still oblivious to my identity,
"That's my assistant,you can call him Kristian. Or White,he doesn't mind."Bradley explains as I remain tongue tied sitting next to Bradley away from this man,"Otherwise,good morning Mr Lewis."
"Good morning,Bradley."I'm not looking his way but I can feel the way his eyes are trained on me,like I'm some special circus animal. Bradley volley between us before asking,
"... is something wrong?"
"No. No,not at all. Bradley everything is good."Finally he,stops looking at me and focuses on my boss. "Where are the others?"
"On their way,me and Kris thought we should get here early is all."
"Kristian."he lets my name roll off his tongue,dip in the waters of his baritone. "What a rare name."he finishes and spares me a glance,"is he new? I don't remember you having an assistant."
"Yes,actually."
"Makes sense since up until yesterday he was still talking to rats."Heat travels to my cheeks at the speed to light and I sit a little straighter in my chair. This is the worst. THE worst meeting I'll ever attend. And he's saying it the same way chicken from a gas station tastes. Dry,without humour.
I can tell he's bitter from a range of two miles.
"I'm sorry,what?"Bradley interrupts his unmoving stare,and he comes back,
"Nothing."he says with a small smile,before pushing a file in his direction,"It's a patent."he states leaning back into his chair which is at the head of the table and crossing his arms over his chest,
"Oh,the engineers already started working?"
"No,I did. But the final aesthetically pleasing form of it is up to the interior designers at R&D."
"Okay,what do you need?"Bradley asks slowly closing the folder and what I now know to be Mr Lewis,takes a deep breath,
"Of course tens of people from your end will work in this but I'll need my own personal,consultant from your end. Someone who will be needed to follow me around twenty four,seven for the next nine months as we plan this."he says and Bradley makes a thinking sound,
"My assistant could do it."Oh hell no.
No,no and no.
I watch with beads of sweat falling down my face as Mr Lewis leans in with his elbows on the table,he lets his chin rest on his interlocked hands. "Why do you think that is?"
"He graduated with a double degree of business and marketing along with interior design,he has a masters in digital marketing and before me,seven years ago he was the head of business at R&D."he rants and makes it sound huge when it isn't. It really shouldn't be especially in front of this guy.
But it doesn't matter. This guy won't chose me. He hates me just as much as I do him.
"Oh? And why did he get demoted from his position?"
"He-"
"Personal reasons."I say,before Bradley almost lets the cat out of the bag. Mr Lewis makes a face of curiosity but leaves it at that thankfully.
"Okay,Kristian,with what I'm assuming is a K,tell me more about why I should chose you."he says and I stare at him,my chest tight with the air I can't seem to let to go of.
"Well... you shouldn't. Although,I'm alright in other aspects,many others are too and their some who could really deal with this well. Better than I can,I'm sure."Bradley kicks me from under the table I stifle a groan and continue to ignore him,
"... okay. Then I won't."
"But you should. Only if you want to,Mr Lewis."
"Mr Green,Bradley was just telling me about why Kristian was such a good choice for my consultant."
"He is,in fact,he actually designed the room were sitting in now."Lewis nods slowly with a crooked grin on his face,"It's great to have you back on the team,Kris."Mr Green says to me and I smile.
I don't know who he is exactly.
I don't know who anybody is. And it hurts me. A lot.
But I want to believe in myself. Because I know I can do this.
"Thank you,Mr Green."I say,with a small nod in his direction,
"I'll consider it."Lewis says before he starts the meeting.
Again it is a home security system. Designed to protect the citizens of Ferrez while maintaining proper use of resources and be aesthetically pleasing at the same time. And it's his idea. Of course it is.
He may be annoying but he's- he glows with the light of success. Burns with flames of knowing where he's going every day. Can't say I'm not slightly intimidated.
Are all noble men like this?
"Why don't you escort Mr Lewis out,Kristian?"Bradley says with a wink. I get the encouragement but I certainly don't want it. I don't need to be close to this man.
We have a rivalry so potent that we don't have to say we do. We just know it.
"I would love that."Lewis says,his deep voice going deeper as he stands,re-buttoning his black blazer with minimal movement. Everyone misses the hidden meaning in his words.
I don't. He's after something. I can sense it.
Instead of sprinting down the hall of this floor like I should,I smile and nod silently telling him to come with me. And he does,his foot steps echoing behind me. His gaze lingering on my turned back. I ignore it and put my office guy confidence to use.
My head high. Shoulders back,ever so slightly. As close to elegance as I'll get.
"So this job is your break from playing Cinderella with mice?"I have the perfect comeback. Clean and cold,enough to make him pull his hands out of his pockets. Enough to make him stand straight and respect me.
But I have three days. And I can't let him get on my nerves.
I make a noncommittal sound and he says nothing for a second or two. "I asked Bradley because I was testing whether or not he was messing with me."either his voice is working like a drug or he's speaking in tongues,
"I don't know what you mean,sir?"
"I already looked through the entire database of employees who would be good for this position... Imagine my surprise last night when I say your face in the list of best employees?"
"I don't think I can,Mr Lewis."I say,actively avoiding his gaze. I think it pisses him off,
"Of course not,I mean,"he walks to the edge of the elevator then back,as if he's proposing something absolutely ridiculous,so crazy he almost doesn't believe it himself. But he does. "The rat charmer has honours on his name,that's preposterous."he tells me. So close,I can see a birth mark shaped...
Like a daisy.
Immediately my head starts to pound,I back away and try to hide it. He's to obsessed with whatever he's talking about to care,I think to myself as I scrap up what's left of my composure. "You were the youngest executive there was at R&D,every wanted you,of they didn't they wanted to be you. Then you disappeared without a trace,I can't help but wonder why."he settles his gaze on me,only then do I realise. I've become the target of a man who always gets what he wants.
But I'm not what he thinks I am. Not anymore. Hell,I can hardly remember what I was like,all the achievements that I fought for and I... I don't remember earning them. "I'm not here to ask you questions about your past,"he dips his hands into his pockets. I never thought it could look so elegant doing that. "I'm here because I want you,"He points at me,
"I know I'm beautiful but I don't provide those kinds of-"
"Shut up,Red. I want you to work for me. As my consultant."
"A nickname? Why did you say it with so much... conviction?"
"None of your business."he then pulls away from me and fixs his cuffs with one sharp snap outwards,like he's commanding the air to kneel. I might be crazy because I think it actually does. "So think about it,I know we have our.. differences,but I don't see a lot of options."he walks out of the elevator and I have the nearly run after him,
"Fine then,what's in it for me."he stops abruptly and I almost knock into his back,
"Go ahead,ask me I can make it happen."he looks at me like I'm wasting his time,immensely. In one minute he'll be looking at his luxury watch and telling me to hurry up.
"I want you to make sure I go the Craftsmen convection soon,be my consultant for my project then I'll help you."as soon as the words leave my mouth his laugh follows after.
It's all consuming. Full of pride and power,if a luxury brand had a voice it would laugh like he does. And it's doing something to me. I hate it and I want it to stop.
"Fine,but I'm not doing the heavy lifting for it. If that's all I'd like to expect we have a deal?"
"Deal,"
"See you tomorrow then,Red."this has to be the death of realism.