Words In The Wind (Koe-chan and Zombie_In_A_Box) [possibly 18+]

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander smiled slightly, finding the new atmosphere a lot better. It wasn't awkward, at least. The man nodded when he was given directions, speeding up again. "How do you like your co-workers so far?" The raven asked, glancing at Beckett with a small smile. He was trying to continue the conversation somehow so it wouldn't turn awkward again. However, when he overthought it - and that happened often - he tended to make things go the opposite from what he wanted. Like right now, he was trying just a little bit too hard - perhaps it would've been better to leave everything in silence.

[BlaqueCatt]

The younger man was undeterred by his boss' question, and he tilted his head slightly in consideration, his teeth finding his bottom lip. "Hmm...well, I've only really gotten to know Annabeth, but no one has been unkind to me," he replied. While no one had spoken to him directly, they had smiled at him when he passed and had come to his aid when he needed assistance. The only person he was unsure about was the man who had glared at him when he first arrived, but Annabeth said he had his own problems, so he wasn't going to instigate anything. "Oh, well, I know you too, now," he added, the light blush returning.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander nodded, a smile gracing his features at the last part. "I see. And the workplace?" He asked almost immediately, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at the other. "Is there anything you find uncomfortable?" The man questioned, looking back at the road again. This guy looked really kind, and he did like him, but... It felt somewhat wrong. Not fully wrong - more like both right and wrong. He honestly wanted to spend more time with Beck, but he felt as if the younger deserved someone more. Besides, he'd just divorced, maybe it wasn't time to jump right into a relationship?

[BlaqueCatt]

"I really like it," he answered, removing his teeth from his lip and turning away from the window to face Alexander. Their eyes met, and the blush darkened slightly--the older man was good-looking--and reached out to change the track number, switching the song to "Bleed Black". "It's my first real job, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but the atmosphere is nice and I like the schedule I have." He glanced at the other, but quickly looked away. Beckett liked Alexander, but he had had a wife, so he doubted the other was gay. And besides, I just met him! Even if I think he's nice, it's way too soon.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander noticed Beckett's blush, but didn't pay much attention to it. They weren't as good of friends for him to ask why he appeared to be embarrassed. "That's really nice to hear... I hope you enjoy working here for as long as you decide to stay." The raven said with a smile, finally finding himself relaxing. He looked back at the road, tapping his fingers on the wheel. "Do you have anyone you'd like to be paired with today?" The man asked, going through the choices in his head.

[BlaqueCatt]

Honestly, Beckett wanted to work with Annabeth again, as he was already comfortable with her. He knew that it would be beneficial to be paired with someone new, though, so he could get to know the rest of his colleagues. "Um, whoever you think is best," he replied, using his right hand to rub his left. It was a habit he had developed, one that subconsciously eased his nerves. It wasn't that he was consciously anxious; his uneasiness lingered, and such actions were very soothing. "I like Annabeth, but I want to try to get along with the others too."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander nodded once again, both to get rid of the stiffness and to reply in some way. "Then you'll be with Brian." He decided quickly, a small smile pulling at his lips. "He's sort of like Annabeth, so I guess you'll be alright with him. Make sure to laugh at his jokes, this way you'll be sure to get on his good side." The raven chuckled, looking around. "Okay, which one is yours?" He asked once they got closer to some houses and flats. Alex wanted for Beckett to get a chance to be with everyone, but he wasn't too sure about Leo. He couldn't leave him left out, but... He wasn't sure if he would be so good with Beck.

[BlaqueCatt]

"Okay." The brunette returned the smile, pleased with hearing that the man he would be working with was as kind as Annabeth. "I look forward to it." There was a moment's hesitation, and then he asked shyly, "I'm sorry, but which one is Brian? I'm not good with names." He had a nearly photographic memory, but when things weren't written down, they often slipped his mind soon after. "Oh, and my apartment is here," he said, pointing to a simple brown-brick building a few feet up the street.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander smiled and shook his head slightly. "It's fine, Brian is the African-American guy, the one with giant hair." The raven chuckled to himself, remembering how Brian first came to work - he'd attempted to make his hair look smaller, but failed. "Ah, alright. Do you want me to wait for you here?" The man asked as he glanced at the backseat to make sure his bag was there. Without it, he wouldn't be able to do much at work, after all. Alex turned off the engine for the moment, looking at Beckett as he waited for the reply.

[BlaqueCatt]

"You've done enough for me already," Beckett replied, fixing Alexander with a smile of genuine appreciation. "I'll just..." He paused to check the time, the mental image of the city bus schedule appearing in his mind's eye. The next bus is in five minutes, there's no way I can catch it, and taking following will make me late for work. "...walk," he replied, unbuckling the belt and opening the car door. He stepped onto the sidewalk, shivered slightly, and turned to give the older man a small wave, instantly chastising himself afterwards for doing something so childish. "Thank you, Mr. Black. I'll see you in fifteen minutes!" He still called his boss by his last name even though the other employees used his first.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander sighed quietly to himself, leaning back against the seat. "Got it, I'll wait for you here." He grinned, waving back. Like hell he was going to let Beckett walk to work, besides, it would be easier for all of them like that. The raven turned up the music a little, closing his eyes. He'd much rather wait for his employee to get ready than have them late for work or something happen in the way to work. After the event yesterday, being careful wouldn't hurt.

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett hurried up the stairs--the elevator was broken--and soon arrived at the door to his apartment. He fumbled with the keys while trying to get them out of his pocket, and he almost dropped them several times. It was well known by the brunette's friends that he was extremely clumsy, and as a result, he almost tripped on the welcome mat upon entering. He let out a huff, bracing himself against the wall, before regaining his balance and heading to his bedroom. He took out a fresh dress shirt, sweater, trousers, and socks, laying them out on the bed. He then went to the bathroom and took a quick shower in record time - only four minutes. He was soon dressed and ready to go, but he made sure to calm himself down after the past events before leaving. Once outside, he was a few yards down the sidewalk before noticing that Alexander was still parked outside. His brown eyes widened. He's still here? I wold him I'd walk. Unsure of whether to be unsure or touched, he warily approached the car, tilting his head and bending slightly to peek inside. "Um...Mr. Black?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander had begun to go through his emails while waiting for Beckett. He had quite a few people who simply adored sending him emails at three in the morning, for example. He was just a little bit out of the world, which was perhaps the reason for him flinching when Beckett called out his name. "Ah, you're here. Get in, we don't want to be late." The raven smiled slightly, reaching out to open the door. "I don't really want you to walk in this weather." After all, it was fairly cold outside... The man smiled slightly, lowering the volume again. It must've looked weird - a car parked with music blasting out of it, with just one person inside.

[BlaqueCatt]

The younger man blushed slightly when Alexander smiled and told him to enter the car. He was waiting for me because of the weather? It was a very kind thing to do in Beckett's mind, despite its simplicity, and he would make sure to repay the favor at some point, for both this and what had happened at the restaurant (which he still felt guilty about). "Thanks, again," he said softly, slipping into the passenger's seat again. He gently shut the door behind him. "You didn't have to, you know," he added.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander just waved his hand, already turning on the engine and beginning to drive towards the office. "I don't want you getting sick, not when you just started working." The raven smiled warmly, truly showing his caring side. After all, he was the "daddy" of the company, in all ways. "Oh, by the way, Brian will make sure to push you out of your comfort zone, so get ready." The man warned with a somewhat-sheepish smile. It didn't take long for him to get to the office with a few minutes to spare... Which was late for him, of course. The raven got out of the car and locked it once Beckett was out too, walking towards the door.

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett felt his heart clench with that new piece of information, and his smile faltered. He was willing to challenge himself intellectually, but when it came to social matters, he was terrified of crossing the boundaries he had set for himself. "Okay." He kept his voice from wavering and looked up when the car slowed to a stop. Much faster than walking. Even if he had had te money, he wouldn't have bought a car, though. He didn't mind driving, but he felt it was better for him to take less pollutive routes.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Even if Beckett's voice didn't give much out, Alexander could tell that the younger was at least worried. Just before entering, the raven lightly placed a hand on the other's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "It's going to be fine." He muttered with a reassuring smile before stepping inside. The man greeted everyone, stopping at Brian's desk to inform him of his today's schedule.

 

Once the man was in his own office, Brian stood up with a relaxed smile on his face and walked towards Beckett. "Hey, I'm Brian." He smiled widely, holding out his hand. He didn't look like he could be older than twenty, probably because of his hair and that loose, worn clothing. He didn't look like he belonged in a place like this.

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett's doe brown eyes widened, and he found himself blushing slightly as the taller man held out his hand. He had always found dark-skinned people to be attractive, and Brian was very handsome. "Beckett," he replied, gently shaking the offered hand. He also liked it when his partners were taller than him--not that he'd ever been in a real relationship--and Brian fit both of those standards. Stop it, he scolded himself, giving the other man a smile. He's probably married, and even if he isn't, he's most likely straight.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Brian grinned as his hand was shaken, his hair sticking out in every possible direction. "So, you're stuck with me today, hm? Honestly, after Annabeth, I don't really have a chance, huh?" The man laughed warmly, lightly patting his hair, attempting to get it into place. As always, that was fruitless. "Mostly I just edit others' texts, but... Oh! Let's go and make a survey, what do you think?" The tall male suggested, pushing his hands into his pockets. "Let's see how good you are with people!"

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett wanted to reassure Brian that he was just as good as Annabeth, but he couldn't find the words, so he simply smiled. As the other man tried to fix his hair, the brunette but his lip to hold back a giggle--it was cute--and nodded in response to the survey idea. "Okay. I've only done a few before," he added, slightly worried about how strangers would react to him.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Brian smiled widely, obvious excitement showing as he glanced through the window. "Ohh, in such weather it won't be as easy finding people... I'm so doing this." He was the kind of a man who loved a challenge, no matter where from. He was open to everything... He even was pansexual. Gender of his partner really didn't matter, although at the moment he was happy with a girlfriend. "So, what do you think the survey be about?"

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett was once again slipping into 'business mode', and he worried his lip as the thought, the smile having been replaced by a pensive expression. "Well...it should probably be something that a large amount of people can relate to. Do you want it to be serious or lighthearted?" he asked, gazing up at the taller man questionably. There were always world events to get opinions on, or they could do something gentler, like a new store, for example.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Brian grinned, reaching out to ruffle up Beckett's hair. "Getting right down to business, hm?" He joked, laughing warmly. "I don't do serious." He winked, almost as if he was flirting... "Like, anywhere. At all." He chuckled, looking at the new guy with a warm expression. "Come on, let's think of some possibilities. What's going on in the world that you find interesting or funny? Oh, maybe something to do with music?"

[BlaqueCatt]

The blush returned, and Beckett momentarily averted eye contact before forcing himself to meet the others' gaze again. Why is everyone here so touchy-feely? He didn't really mind it, as he had received little attention to his mother and had always craved human interaction; it was just that he was highly unused to it. "Um, o-okay," he replied, inwardly berating himself for stuttering. So much for Annabeth's lessons. "I just moved here, so I'm not really up to date, but has anything new happened recently?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Brian grinned childishly, poking Beckett's side. "Well... A really cute guy moved in, I've heard." He winked, letting out a soft laugh. "Okay, if seriously... Erm... Oh, there was this scandal with Paula Lambert, did you hear? Apparently she has a girlfriend!" He suggested, pushing his hands into pockets. "We could go around and ask what people think of that, I guess."