Please, Take It.

~Part 5~

'Ya look stupid standing here fidgetin', ya know,' said his inner voice.

"I do not," he rebutled quietly to himself. "People stand outside of buildings everyday."

'But I doubt they do it outside their place of work, wearing their name tag, and talking outloud to themselves while staring at the ground like that.'

"I'm just mentally preparing myself. I'll be going inside eventually."

'If ya say so."

"Oh shut up!" He shouted louder then he had meant to.

"Mr. Flynn? Uh, is that you, sir?"

Looking up he saw who the voice belonged to. Shawn really didn't need to look up to truly know who it was. There was only one person that ever called him 'Mr. Flynn'.

"Yes, Miles, it's me," he sighed. Giving Miles a half hearted wave.

"Are you alright, sir?" Miles asked. He was looking at Shawn suspiciously. He had most definitely heard him shout at himself.

"I'm fine, Miles," he made sure to look him in the eye as he said it. "Where ya headin' off to now?"

Miles was one of the most reliable gofers the studio had these days. They were constantly in and out of the office but on their down time Miles could always be found wandering Heavenly Toys. Shawn had taken a liking to the kid and would let them sit in his office while he worked. There was just one thing that Miles did that Shawn could not get used to. They were always calling him 'sir' or 'Mr. Flynn'. Even after telling them several times that there was no need to be formal with him. The kid had found him passed out at his desk more times then he was willing to admit. But Miles had a polite nature. Shawn admired that about them. Polite young people were a dime a dozen. The other studio gofers were a bunch of rude ass hooligans.

"Oh, I'm just coming back from a delivery, Mr Flynn."

Shawn reached into his pocket to pull out his watch to see the time. Even though he was late for work it was early for the gofers to be making deliveries let alone be coming back from one.

"Ain't it a bit early, Miles? Also ya don't have to to call me Mr. Flynn. Shawn is fine, please." He gave him a friendly smile. "All my friends call me Shawn."

Miles' eyes lit up and a huge smile appeared on their face. "Seriously?!?" They were bouncing on the balls of their feet and tightly gripping the strap of his carrier bag that had it been a person they were holding onto it might have caused damage that would require medical attention. "You really consider me a friend, Mr. Flynn?"

Shawn couldn't help but chuckle at their excitement. "Yes, Miles, I do consider ya a friend of mine. Now please...," giving the young gofer a smile and wink, "Please call me Shawn."

"Of course, Mr. Flynn. Uh, I mean-," they stuttered over their words, "Shawn." Miles returned the smile with a beaming one of their own.
The awkwardness of the moment was fading when Miles realized that he was still standing outside of the studio.
"Uh, Shawn?"

Shawn gave Miles a look that told them he was listening.
"Shouldn't you be in your office by now? Why are you standing out here?" Miles gestured to the wall that Shawn was leaning against.

"Just holdin' up the studio." Shawn laughed at his lame attempt at making a joke, breaking the eye contact that he had been keeping with Miles.

Miles gave him a pity laugh but could tell that something was really bothering Shawn.
"Seriously, is everything okay?" Miles stepped closer to him, closing the space between them so Shawn didn't have to speak so loud.