Bright Size Life
Title: Bright Size Life (1/6)
Author: scyllaya
Pairings/Characters: Gabriel/Dean Smith, other various Supernatural characters
Rating: PG (NC-17 for overall)
Warnings: cursing
Spoilers: All-human AU fanfic! “4.17 It’s A Terrible Life” and “5.08 Changing Channels” (Gabriel, duh)
Word Count: ~ 1800 (~19000 for entire story)
Summary: Dean Smith meets an annoying wiseguy at a restaurant one evening and Dean’s just tired enough for the day to give him a piece of his mind. The real surprise comes next day at Sandover and that turns Dean’s life upside down in record speed.
Disclaimer: All names and characters in this story belong to CW/WB and Mr.Kripke. I’m playing, not stealing! If you sue me a fairy will die.
Author’s Note: I had this idea in my head for a while, but other fics always distracted me, but not anymore. The story is un-betad. Sorry! >_<
Title from Pat Metheny Group: Bright Size Life, corporate guys don’t listen to classic rock ;)
Art by the amazing candylovinangel ! Thank you darling <3 ( Art Masterpost)
Chapter One
Dean Smith had one of his busiest days since he started working at Sandover Bridge & Iron Inc. four weeks ago. He was in early had lunch at his desk and he stayed in late, but even so he already knew that it was better if he went in early the next day. That was the reason why he was waiting for his bento at the restaurant counter impatiently. He wanted to get home as soon as possible.
‘Still in a suit at this hour?’ said someone to his right and Dean turned and saw a man leaning against the counter and looking at him. He was shorter than Dean, he wore dark jeans and a red shirt. His honey-brown hair was slicked back, but only slightly so it looked somewhere between casual and elegant. ‘You’re either a workaholic or a masochist’ the guy concluded with a bright grin on his face.
‘Excuse me?’ Dean frowned. He was not standing in some shady bar so something like this happening was strange.
‘Just sayin’ y’know. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. How about you drink a sake with me?’ he offered.
‘I don’t think so’ said Dean immediately, but the guy didn’t pay attention and was already ordering. In Japanese that is which was a bit surprising. ‘I still need to drive’ Deans said finally when the two cups were in front of them. Because he was not having drinks with some rude guy he didn’t even know. The man sighed theatrically.
‘Kampai!’ he raised a cup and emptied it a second later he took the other one and drank it too.
‘You work at Sandover?’ he asked then and Dean’s eyes widened.
‘How did you know that?’ he asked in surprise. The guy shrugged.
‘It’s pretty close from here and I’m fairly good at recognizing you folks… and I saw your security ID when you paid for your meal earlier’ he smirked when he added. Dean was starting to get annoyed.
‘Ok, look pal I’m not interested so...’ he hoped it was enough to finish up the conversation, the man just chuckled.
‘You really need learn to relax once in a while’ he said.
‘None of your business and you don’t even know me’ Dean replied and he hoped that his food would be there soon so he could get out of there.
‘Oh, but I’ve run into your kind before’ he said with another smile. So self-assured, almost in an arrogant way, Dean snorted, because someone was thinking way too much of themselves. ‘You come from a small town, loving parents with middle-class jobs, but they valued your future enough to save money for your education. You worked hard, studied a lot instead of joining the college parties and now you’re on your way building THE dream. Cool important job, nice paycheck, upper-class car with a penthouse apartment and pristine designer suits. Everything you only saw on TV back in Bumfuck, USA but knew you wanted because you would not rot in that place for the rest of your life working in the dirt like Mommy and Daddy did.’
Dean was sure that he stopped breathing for a second, because who the hell was this guy? And what gave him the right… how the hell could he know all that? It’s not like it’s tattooed on his face that he’s from a middle-class family in South Dakota. How could a stranger that saw him now for the first time say all that? Was he that big of a stereotype? Sure anyone could guess the good income from his suit and car, but everything else? He was openly staring at the guy for minutes maybe and he was just looking back looking smug, cocky, knowing he was right from Dean’s expression. His words stuck in his throat and when he finally got his food neatly wrapped he snapped out of it and tore his gaze away.
‘Ok, you know what buddy?’ he said, felt as anger rose from somewhere in the pit of his stomach. ‘As fun as this was I’m actually working tomorrow, so maybe you have nothing better to do than drink away your pathetic life while you pretend to be wise, but I’m not sinking to your level.’
His little speech would’ve been much more satisfying if the guy didn’t smirk then burst out laughing a second later, but Dean didn’t pay attention to him. He grabbed his food and walked out of the restaurant, and just when he thought that his headache couldn’t get any worse. The guy’s laugh still ringed in his ear when he got home so Dean couldn’t check over the things he wanted on his laptop, he just ate his dinner and went to bed, he had a busy day tomorrow after all.
xxx
He cursed himself for not checking his e-mails one more time before he went to bed, because if he did he wouldn’t have been surprised about the special directorial meeting that was scheduled at 10 o’clock. When he sent an e-mail to Victor to ask him whether he knew more about it than he did he sent him back a detailed mail about the fusion that while kept under the rug finally took place yesterday. Dean was a new employee so he was not surprised that he didn’t get the intel right away, but it was good that he became friends with Victor for cases like this. Victor Henriksen was the Director of Logistics and he’s been with the company for five years, he knew all the ins and outs. So he wrote a detailed letter about what went down in the past weeks and how now they will probably announce the fusion and any changes that might come with that.
Dean became slightly nervous about that, because sometimes changes meant transfers and redeployments. He was only working at the company for a month so that could be either good or bad, it would be easy to get rid of him, but he still counted as someone new and potential, everything depended on the new upper-management. And if Victor was correct they would definitely get some new players in their circles.
The first thing he did in the Conference Room was to seek out Victor to ask him if there was anything new. His colleague merely pointed at the grand whiteboard that was covered with a sheet in the front of the room. So whatever they would announce it was definitely big, because only those types of things needed a visual demonstration like this, normally a presentation would’ve been enough.
10 o’clock sharp and Zachariah Adler and other SVPs walked into the room and Dean noticed that everyone was there from the middle- and upper-management, which just made the things all the more interesting, surely there would be more than just the announcement of the ending of the negotiations.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen I welcome you all on this historical morning’ started Mr. Adler. ‘As I am sure many of you know the Sandover Iron & Bridge Incorporation was on the brink of a new era. And now it is my very pleasure to announce you that this new era has arrived.’
Everyone clapped as expected for a short while and then Adler continued.
‘A new era of evolutionary ideas, technological development and international expansion reached Sandover that will bring us to the 21st century. A new era that will certainly bring world-wide success to this company we all work together to build to be better, and now we have the chance to do so, because this new era is called…’ he turned to his side and reached his hand out and an assistant pulled the the sheet down from the board that had a brand new logo on it. ‘Sandover & Donnerman International!’ Mr. Adler finished triumphantly and everyone clapped loudly at the reveal of this.
And Dean was ready to admit that this was huge, but he inwardly snorted that this could be called a “fusion”. The Donnerman Industries was such a huge company that Sandover was a pretty small fish compared to it, everyone knew that this was nothing but a takeover - as Victor helpfully pointed it out to Dean in his e-mail - but the name Sandover stayed as it was a well-known name on the market.
After the applause Mr. Adler continued.
‘Ladies and Gentleman it is also my pleasure to announce that we will have the honor to work together with, in this very building, with the one who made that possible, who’s incomparable talents and knowledge will certainly bring this company to even bigger greatness, the co-owner and new CEO of Sandover & Donnerman International, the founder and president of The Donnerman Industries. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, the man himself, Mr. Gabriel Donnerman!’
The room broke out into a huge applause and Dean even heard as Victor said a small “Wow” to his left, but the second Gabriel Donnerman walked into the room with a bright smile on his face and walked up to Mr. Adler to shake his hand Dean froze. Because no, that just couldn’t be. Instead of holding a speech he started to get around the room to greet everyone with a handshake personally, but Dean’s mind was a litany of “no no no no” and he felt sick. He felt sick and he was sure that all color drained from his face because the man walking around in the room was the jackass from the Japanese restaurant.
And this could not be happening, not to him. He was getting closer and closer now and Dean actually started to pray to whoever might listen to him that this was just a nightmare and he would soon wake-up or that Donnerman won’t remember the last evening if this was not a bad dream.
And suddenly he was standing in front of Dean, his eyes narrowed for a second then lit up with recognition and humor and a grin appeared on his face, Dean officially wanted to be struck by a lightning.
‘And you are?’ he asked.
‘Dean Smith’ he managed to squeeze out, but he was sure that his voice was way too shaky and way too hoarse and everyone in ear-shot would notice that. ‘Director of Sales and Marketing’ He finished and shook Gabriel’s hand.
‘I’m sure it’s going to be a pleasure working together’ he said and his smile didn’t falter for a second. Dean had a hard time figuring out whether it was honest or a business smile, whether he was pissed or not, but he couldn’t think about it too much as Donnerman already moved along to shake Victor’s hand.
Dean simply tried to breath; because he was sure that the only way making things worse was if he actually threw up in the conference room. He felt dizzy as he tried to get out of there and he had only one thing in mind. That he was utterly and completely screwed.
Chapter Two >>>