Fanfic: Whirlwind
*******
Title: Whirlwind
Author: slashy_lady
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Alfred and Arthur
Word Count: 2196
Warning: this fic is un-beta-ed and done in a rush; please pardon any error you might encounter when you read it and if you notify me about any error you find, I'll be much obliged.
Disclaimer: The characters involved in this story do not belong to me, nor do they have any connection to real person(s). No infringement intended.
Some Kind of Summary: Alfred Jones realized that he might be having a crush on his boss, Arthur Kirkland.
Note: Written for usxuk's 2012 Special Relationship Sweethearts, Day 3 - Taking Care of Business. This is part of my Hetalia Office!AU which took place within the timeframe of When Love Walks In
*******
The first time Alfred saw Arthur Kirkland, he felt like he was in the middle of a violent whirlwind. He had heard about Arthur Kirkland before he met him. He had known about the director of the strategic division, the man who was known among his staffs as the evil incarnate. Truth be told, all the scary tales that he heard from those guys from the strategic division only intrigued him about the man himself. Perhaps he was merely curious. Perhaps he had some slight disbelief. Yet whatever the reason might be, Alfred wanted to see the man, wanted to see the legendary Arthur Kirkland and feel the power the he wielded. For Alfred was no fool. Even though all his underlings always painted him as some terrifying boss, all of them were loyal to him. And Alfred knew only someone who was terribly good, who had a great power, who possessed a great charm could prompt such loyalty.
So when the request for temporary archivist came from the strategic division, Alfred seized it.
And that was how he came to his current predicament, standing in the middle of the meeting room, watching Mr. Kirkland doing a very good job in imprinting the wreath of God to some poor temp. He listened to the sharp biting words that Mr. Kirkland delivered. He watched as the temp-a poor girl just out of college-trembled in front him. And, damn, he was fascinated.
Sure, Mr. Kirkland was harsh. Sure, he looked really terrifying. Sure, he was really demanding. But he was good. He was amazing in doing his job. He was a power to behold.
That time, Alfred firmly decided that he wanted to work for the man. And Alfred Franklin Jones was a man of his words. If he wanted something, he would get it. So it was no surprise, really, that less than a year after that day, Alfred found himself being assigned to be Mr. Kirkland’s personal assistant.
Of course, it was not a completely smooth sailing for him.
Why? Well, there were several reasons, true. The first and foremost one would be the fact that Mr. Kirkland seemed to hate him from the very first time they saw each other.
Well, perhaps ‘hate’ was a pretty strong word to be used. ‘Annoyed’ might be more appropriate. But, really, how could Alfred possibly know that his new boss apparently detested coffee with all his being and worshipped that icky liquid he called tea? He was merely trying to do his job as an assistant-to serve his boss and fulfill his needs-by making him a nice cup of morning coffee. Instead of some gratification, he got scolded. Why? Because Mr. Kirkland ‘preferred tea’.
Truthfully, Alfred could not find someone who rejected coffee for tea worth his respect. But on that same day, he watched Mr. Kirkland bitching at and practically ripping the head of Art Department to shreds after some campaign that the poor guy had ‘destroyed by the complete use of his plain idiocy’ and he ignored the whole coffee versus tea debacle in his head.
After that, things went… better. At least in his opinion. At least he dared to think that Mr. Kirkland was starting to accept him. At least he always tried his best in doing his job (and, who was he kidding, he was indeed the best in his job). And at least he thought that Mr. Kirkland might have started to enjoy his presence.
Or so he hoped.
He started to mentally count the things which in his mind belonged to the ‘Mr. Kirkland really did appreciate me’ list versus those in the ‘Mr. Kirkland really did hate me’ list while refusing to think how very immature he was being. So busy he was-and so disheartened at the realization that the latter list seemed to be getting longer and longer-until he very nearly jumped when he heard Mr. Kirkland talking to him out of nowhere.
“I so hope that look on your face means you’re working on my schedule and not because you’re thinking of some inappropriate things during working hours, Jones.”
“Mr. Kirkland, Sir,” he said quickly, trying to look professional and alert all within the span of three seconds. “You startled me.”
Arthur Kirkland, his boss, only gave him a small smug smirk. Alfred recalled with perfect clarity that his boss supposedly just finished his meeting with the board directors. Now the smug smirk started to make sense to him.
Grinning, he cheekily asked, “So, you managed to kick some ass again this time, Sir?”
Mr. Kirkland scoffed. “Don’t be so uncouth. I was merely showing some ignorant people the error in their way.”
The smirk he was still sporting, though, told Alfred that not only was Mr. Kirkland aware of his ‘ass-kicking’ act but he was also enjoying it immensely. Mr. Kirkland would not look out of place amidst super villain, he had thought, but strangely he would also not look so out of place amidst old grandmothers knitting scarves.
The image very nearly made him laugh. It’s a good thing he could hold himself back. Trying to stifle up his smile, he reached for a neat pile of documents on his desk and presented them to Mr. Kirkland.
“Your finished briefs, Sir,” he said.
“Ah,” Mr. Kirkland said. He took the documents and flipped through them casually. “When did Gilbert deposit these briefs to you?”
“At two pm, Sir,” Alfred said with a completely straight face.
Mr. Kirkland stared at him with a raised eyebrow and a playful smile. “And I believe he asked you to tell me that.”
“Well, you can say that,” he said.
“So I guess the question is, at what time did he actually bring these and beg you to tell me that he did it by two?”
He returned that smile with one of his own and admitted, “Roughly two twenty, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Twenty minutes late. That guy really needs a lesson on how not to slack off,” Mr. Kirkland said. “And it surprises me how easy you give up your friend, Jones, I admit I’m a bit upset.”
“Gilbert only instructed me to tell you that he gave me those documents by two pm if you ask,” he said. “He did not necessarily specify that I should also cover for him if you question me about whether or not he begged me off for said admission or if I should tell the truth on the exact time he requested the deed.”
Mr. Kirkland stopped looking through the documents to give him an amused look mixed with appreciation. “You should have been a lawyer.”
He snorted. “Believe me, Sir, I think arguing over schedule with Mrs. Anderson could beat any court battle that this city could offer.”
At that Mr. Kirkland outright laughed. It was not a smirk or a condescending snort-he really laughed. And Alfred could only watch-amazed, mesmerized-the rare sight of his boss letting loose.
‘He looked gorgeous’ was the first thought that entered Alfred’s mind at the rare sight of Arthur Kirkland laughing. He looked so damn gorgeous and Alfred was so deeply fucked. Because it was one thing to adore his boss but it was another thing entirely to find himself crushing on him. That shit was simply not on.
He gulped. But, oh God, how could he be so blind? Those eyes and lips. That smart brain and calm disposition. That power, the confidence, even those sarcastic comments. God, Alfred thought, perhaps he had been secretly crushing on his boss for ages without realizing it. Perhaps all his friends-who mocked him relentlessly for his obsession with working under Mr. Kirkland-were partly right in their teasing remarks. He knew how many of them gave him their wink-wink-nudge-nudge smirk when they knew he would be working under his ‘idol’, Arthur Kirkland.
“Anything else you need to report me?” Mr. Kirkland asked, effectively ending Alfred’s musing. He had stopped laughing but there was still a hint of smile on his lips, a bright twinkling light in his eyes. And Alfred honest to God felt his heart skipping a beat.
“You had some phone calls, Sir,” he said. Taking his notebook, he began reciting the calls that reached him while Mr. Kirkland was away. Some of them were simply something he could deal with. But then he came to the end of his list.
“Mr. Edelstein called, Sir, in regards to the final established date to launch our new product,” he said. “He asked me to tell you that the upper management thought that they would prefer to do it in the first quarter of next year.”
Mr. Kirkland frowned. “That depends on the IT department, when they will able to finish their part. Jones, have you…”
“I’ve contacted Mr. Honda on your behalf, Sir, and this is the progress report he gave me,” Alfred said as he calmly handed Mr. Kirkland a manila folder.
Mr. Kirkland smiled at him. “Perfect. And I will need the reviews…”
He handed Mr. Kirkland another two folders. “Market analysis and yearly reviews dating three years back, Sir. The clauses are still being finalized but I got the notice that it would be delivered to your office by eight a.m. tomorrow.”
“Very good. Now we only need…” Mr. Kirkland said, looking at him meaningfully. Alfred just smirked and handed him another folder.
“All the forms you need to build your report, Sir,” he said. Mr. Kirkland was looking at him with satisfaction and Alfred preened a little under his approving gaze. It was always satisfying to get his work well done. It was doubly satisfying when it rewarded him Mr. Kirkland’s approval.
“Remind me to get you a raise, Jones,” Mr. Kirkland said.
“Please give me a raise, Mr. Kirkland,” he said with a straight face.
He saw Mr. Kirkland chuckle and he grinned widely in return. It was really comfortable, that easy camaraderie between them. And Alfred really enjoyed it, really was grateful that Mr. Kirkland seemed to be more at ease with him lately but at the same time it also caused him some major despair because it became harder not to notice what a wonderful person he was.
Office romance was simply not something he needed. It would complicate things. It would cause him to cross several lines-though he did not know what’s the company policy concerning inter office relationship and he decided it wouldn’t hurt to read it up later. And it was not even like Mr. Kirkland was affable to the idea of having a relationship with him. Hell, he was not even sure that Mr. Kirkland was interested in men-or women, even, the guy’s private life was not something that general public knew.
It was futile. It was simply hopeless. And Alfred Jones would simply have to keep his little crush to himself and do his damn job like a pro without having that little crush in the way.
“I will make sure to give you a good performance review to Berwald,” Mr. Kirkland said, smiling at him. He looked contemplative, as if he was remembering something that amused him before he shook his eyes slightly. “Thank you, Jones, you’ve been a great help.”
“It’s my pleasure to work under you, Sir,” he said sincerely.
With one last nod, Mr. Kirkland entered his office and Alfred found himself alone with his thought.
So, he thought as he sat down on his seat and arranged his pink post-its, apparently he was having a crush on his boss. And not only any boss, he was harboring a crush on Arthur Kirkland, which perhaps ranked on the same level with admitting that he loved having sharp knives poking at his most sensitive body parts in their inter-office lingo. But still…
His mind brought him an image of Mr. Kirkland, late at night when he was working on his report to meet the deadline. He would have discarded his jacket by then, with his shirtsleeves rolled to his elbow and his hair a bit mussed. Alfred had seen the image many times, the most recent being just a week ago, and he always thought that Mr. Kirkland looked so… real. It was him behind the suits and calm disposition. It was the hard worker who did the same work as any cubicle bound entry level staff to do his part right and it always mesmerized him.
He wondered if he had already harbored a little crush on his boss by then. He wondered since when his respect turned into adoration, and adoration into affection. He wondered why he only realized it now and what should he do after realizing that.
Sighing, he stole a glance at Mr. Kirkland’s closed office door and somehow found himself smiling. Well, ever since the first time he knew Arthur Kirkland, he always associated him with a violent whirlwind. He guessed he just had to deal with another type of whirlwind now, the type that dealt with hearts and passions and affections, and see if he could come out the other side unscathed.
End
(A/N: Another Office!AU, oh yeah I love this verse XD)
Title: Whirlwind
Author: slashy_lady
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Alfred and Arthur
Word Count: 2196
Warning: this fic is un-beta-ed and done in a rush; please pardon any error you might encounter when you read it and if you notify me about any error you find, I'll be much obliged.
Disclaimer: The characters involved in this story do not belong to me, nor do they have any connection to real person(s). No infringement intended.
Some Kind of Summary: Alfred Jones realized that he might be having a crush on his boss, Arthur Kirkland.
Note: Written for usxuk's 2012 Special Relationship Sweethearts, Day 3 - Taking Care of Business. This is part of my Hetalia Office!AU which took place within the timeframe of When Love Walks In
*******
The first time Alfred saw Arthur Kirkland, he felt like he was in the middle of a violent whirlwind. He had heard about Arthur Kirkland before he met him. He had known about the director of the strategic division, the man who was known among his staffs as the evil incarnate. Truth be told, all the scary tales that he heard from those guys from the strategic division only intrigued him about the man himself. Perhaps he was merely curious. Perhaps he had some slight disbelief. Yet whatever the reason might be, Alfred wanted to see the man, wanted to see the legendary Arthur Kirkland and feel the power the he wielded. For Alfred was no fool. Even though all his underlings always painted him as some terrifying boss, all of them were loyal to him. And Alfred knew only someone who was terribly good, who had a great power, who possessed a great charm could prompt such loyalty.
So when the request for temporary archivist came from the strategic division, Alfred seized it.
And that was how he came to his current predicament, standing in the middle of the meeting room, watching Mr. Kirkland doing a very good job in imprinting the wreath of God to some poor temp. He listened to the sharp biting words that Mr. Kirkland delivered. He watched as the temp-a poor girl just out of college-trembled in front him. And, damn, he was fascinated.
Sure, Mr. Kirkland was harsh. Sure, he looked really terrifying. Sure, he was really demanding. But he was good. He was amazing in doing his job. He was a power to behold.
That time, Alfred firmly decided that he wanted to work for the man. And Alfred Franklin Jones was a man of his words. If he wanted something, he would get it. So it was no surprise, really, that less than a year after that day, Alfred found himself being assigned to be Mr. Kirkland’s personal assistant.
Of course, it was not a completely smooth sailing for him.
Why? Well, there were several reasons, true. The first and foremost one would be the fact that Mr. Kirkland seemed to hate him from the very first time they saw each other.
Well, perhaps ‘hate’ was a pretty strong word to be used. ‘Annoyed’ might be more appropriate. But, really, how could Alfred possibly know that his new boss apparently detested coffee with all his being and worshipped that icky liquid he called tea? He was merely trying to do his job as an assistant-to serve his boss and fulfill his needs-by making him a nice cup of morning coffee. Instead of some gratification, he got scolded. Why? Because Mr. Kirkland ‘preferred tea’.
Truthfully, Alfred could not find someone who rejected coffee for tea worth his respect. But on that same day, he watched Mr. Kirkland bitching at and practically ripping the head of Art Department to shreds after some campaign that the poor guy had ‘destroyed by the complete use of his plain idiocy’ and he ignored the whole coffee versus tea debacle in his head.
After that, things went… better. At least in his opinion. At least he dared to think that Mr. Kirkland was starting to accept him. At least he always tried his best in doing his job (and, who was he kidding, he was indeed the best in his job). And at least he thought that Mr. Kirkland might have started to enjoy his presence.
Or so he hoped.
He started to mentally count the things which in his mind belonged to the ‘Mr. Kirkland really did appreciate me’ list versus those in the ‘Mr. Kirkland really did hate me’ list while refusing to think how very immature he was being. So busy he was-and so disheartened at the realization that the latter list seemed to be getting longer and longer-until he very nearly jumped when he heard Mr. Kirkland talking to him out of nowhere.
“I so hope that look on your face means you’re working on my schedule and not because you’re thinking of some inappropriate things during working hours, Jones.”
“Mr. Kirkland, Sir,” he said quickly, trying to look professional and alert all within the span of three seconds. “You startled me.”
Arthur Kirkland, his boss, only gave him a small smug smirk. Alfred recalled with perfect clarity that his boss supposedly just finished his meeting with the board directors. Now the smug smirk started to make sense to him.
Grinning, he cheekily asked, “So, you managed to kick some ass again this time, Sir?”
Mr. Kirkland scoffed. “Don’t be so uncouth. I was merely showing some ignorant people the error in their way.”
The smirk he was still sporting, though, told Alfred that not only was Mr. Kirkland aware of his ‘ass-kicking’ act but he was also enjoying it immensely. Mr. Kirkland would not look out of place amidst super villain, he had thought, but strangely he would also not look so out of place amidst old grandmothers knitting scarves.
The image very nearly made him laugh. It’s a good thing he could hold himself back. Trying to stifle up his smile, he reached for a neat pile of documents on his desk and presented them to Mr. Kirkland.
“Your finished briefs, Sir,” he said.
“Ah,” Mr. Kirkland said. He took the documents and flipped through them casually. “When did Gilbert deposit these briefs to you?”
“At two pm, Sir,” Alfred said with a completely straight face.
Mr. Kirkland stared at him with a raised eyebrow and a playful smile. “And I believe he asked you to tell me that.”
“Well, you can say that,” he said.
“So I guess the question is, at what time did he actually bring these and beg you to tell me that he did it by two?”
He returned that smile with one of his own and admitted, “Roughly two twenty, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Twenty minutes late. That guy really needs a lesson on how not to slack off,” Mr. Kirkland said. “And it surprises me how easy you give up your friend, Jones, I admit I’m a bit upset.”
“Gilbert only instructed me to tell you that he gave me those documents by two pm if you ask,” he said. “He did not necessarily specify that I should also cover for him if you question me about whether or not he begged me off for said admission or if I should tell the truth on the exact time he requested the deed.”
Mr. Kirkland stopped looking through the documents to give him an amused look mixed with appreciation. “You should have been a lawyer.”
He snorted. “Believe me, Sir, I think arguing over schedule with Mrs. Anderson could beat any court battle that this city could offer.”
At that Mr. Kirkland outright laughed. It was not a smirk or a condescending snort-he really laughed. And Alfred could only watch-amazed, mesmerized-the rare sight of his boss letting loose.
‘He looked gorgeous’ was the first thought that entered Alfred’s mind at the rare sight of Arthur Kirkland laughing. He looked so damn gorgeous and Alfred was so deeply fucked. Because it was one thing to adore his boss but it was another thing entirely to find himself crushing on him. That shit was simply not on.
He gulped. But, oh God, how could he be so blind? Those eyes and lips. That smart brain and calm disposition. That power, the confidence, even those sarcastic comments. God, Alfred thought, perhaps he had been secretly crushing on his boss for ages without realizing it. Perhaps all his friends-who mocked him relentlessly for his obsession with working under Mr. Kirkland-were partly right in their teasing remarks. He knew how many of them gave him their wink-wink-nudge-nudge smirk when they knew he would be working under his ‘idol’, Arthur Kirkland.
“Anything else you need to report me?” Mr. Kirkland asked, effectively ending Alfred’s musing. He had stopped laughing but there was still a hint of smile on his lips, a bright twinkling light in his eyes. And Alfred honest to God felt his heart skipping a beat.
“You had some phone calls, Sir,” he said. Taking his notebook, he began reciting the calls that reached him while Mr. Kirkland was away. Some of them were simply something he could deal with. But then he came to the end of his list.
“Mr. Edelstein called, Sir, in regards to the final established date to launch our new product,” he said. “He asked me to tell you that the upper management thought that they would prefer to do it in the first quarter of next year.”
Mr. Kirkland frowned. “That depends on the IT department, when they will able to finish their part. Jones, have you…”
“I’ve contacted Mr. Honda on your behalf, Sir, and this is the progress report he gave me,” Alfred said as he calmly handed Mr. Kirkland a manila folder.
Mr. Kirkland smiled at him. “Perfect. And I will need the reviews…”
He handed Mr. Kirkland another two folders. “Market analysis and yearly reviews dating three years back, Sir. The clauses are still being finalized but I got the notice that it would be delivered to your office by eight a.m. tomorrow.”
“Very good. Now we only need…” Mr. Kirkland said, looking at him meaningfully. Alfred just smirked and handed him another folder.
“All the forms you need to build your report, Sir,” he said. Mr. Kirkland was looking at him with satisfaction and Alfred preened a little under his approving gaze. It was always satisfying to get his work well done. It was doubly satisfying when it rewarded him Mr. Kirkland’s approval.
“Remind me to get you a raise, Jones,” Mr. Kirkland said.
“Please give me a raise, Mr. Kirkland,” he said with a straight face.
He saw Mr. Kirkland chuckle and he grinned widely in return. It was really comfortable, that easy camaraderie between them. And Alfred really enjoyed it, really was grateful that Mr. Kirkland seemed to be more at ease with him lately but at the same time it also caused him some major despair because it became harder not to notice what a wonderful person he was.
Office romance was simply not something he needed. It would complicate things. It would cause him to cross several lines-though he did not know what’s the company policy concerning inter office relationship and he decided it wouldn’t hurt to read it up later. And it was not even like Mr. Kirkland was affable to the idea of having a relationship with him. Hell, he was not even sure that Mr. Kirkland was interested in men-or women, even, the guy’s private life was not something that general public knew.
It was futile. It was simply hopeless. And Alfred Jones would simply have to keep his little crush to himself and do his damn job like a pro without having that little crush in the way.
“I will make sure to give you a good performance review to Berwald,” Mr. Kirkland said, smiling at him. He looked contemplative, as if he was remembering something that amused him before he shook his eyes slightly. “Thank you, Jones, you’ve been a great help.”
“It’s my pleasure to work under you, Sir,” he said sincerely.
With one last nod, Mr. Kirkland entered his office and Alfred found himself alone with his thought.
So, he thought as he sat down on his seat and arranged his pink post-its, apparently he was having a crush on his boss. And not only any boss, he was harboring a crush on Arthur Kirkland, which perhaps ranked on the same level with admitting that he loved having sharp knives poking at his most sensitive body parts in their inter-office lingo. But still…
His mind brought him an image of Mr. Kirkland, late at night when he was working on his report to meet the deadline. He would have discarded his jacket by then, with his shirtsleeves rolled to his elbow and his hair a bit mussed. Alfred had seen the image many times, the most recent being just a week ago, and he always thought that Mr. Kirkland looked so… real. It was him behind the suits and calm disposition. It was the hard worker who did the same work as any cubicle bound entry level staff to do his part right and it always mesmerized him.
He wondered if he had already harbored a little crush on his boss by then. He wondered since when his respect turned into adoration, and adoration into affection. He wondered why he only realized it now and what should he do after realizing that.
Sighing, he stole a glance at Mr. Kirkland’s closed office door and somehow found himself smiling. Well, ever since the first time he knew Arthur Kirkland, he always associated him with a violent whirlwind. He guessed he just had to deal with another type of whirlwind now, the type that dealt with hearts and passions and affections, and see if he could come out the other side unscathed.
End
(A/N: Another Office!AU, oh yeah I love this verse XD)