In the Beginning
Summary: In the beginning, Owen genuinely disliked David Xanatos.
A/N: Exploring how David Xanatos and Owen got to know each other, prior to episode 1 of the series. This is has been edited, remastered and extended.
There is absolutely no connection between this and the non Owen-centric stories I put out. Xanatos/Fox romance in future chapters.
Spoilers: Vows mostly.
Warnings: possible language
Disclaimer: Gargoyles… Disney… Buena Vista… Greg Weisman… not me.
Chapter 1: When They First Meet.
David Xanatos had started working for Halcyon Renard for two reasons. The first, most important on the thirty year old's list of things to do, was for the behind the scenes understanding of how one goes about starting a successful technology based company. The second, slightly less important on his list of things to do, was to get closer to the man's daughter. Janine was young enough that he would have to keep his hands to himself for a time, but he was planning for the future.
He was smart, arrogant and terribly self-centered for the son of a poor Greek fisherman, but he has the intelligence to back up his talk and has somehow scrapped enough money together to become a very successful stock-trader. He earned the respect and loyalty of his fellow employees in a matter of months. Well, most of them.
Owen Burnett was a quiet, reserved, startlingly young man that had somehow wormed his way onto a research team. At first David believed that Owen was a younger, distant cousin of Halcyon's personal assistant (the two had such similar features, besides coloring that David finds any alternative to be highly unlikely) which would explain the younger man's position and why he was so easily trusted by higher ups.
Like they said, it was who you know. So David decided it would be a good idea to know Owen Burnett, but all good things take time.
Myra the receptionist and Belinda a manager in the Human Resources department met in the break room every day at 1:35. Belinda would have been ending her first shift and Myra would be starting hers. Between the two of them they knew everything about everyone; the dirty secrets, the past scandals, the current love lives and even some things that no one should have known. It took David one week and exactly no effort to gain the ladies' trust.
"So, what do you know about Owen?" David handed Myra a cup of coffee and sat opposite the matronly woman. Belinda blinked her large doe eyes at him.
"You mean Mr. Burnett?" her voice was sickly sweet and David sometimes wondered how the woman's husband put up with it. He nodded.
"Quiet boy," Myra blew on her coffee. Belinda nodded and leaned her elbows on the table, bracelets jingling.
"He always seemed shy to me," she pouted and leaned her soda bottle in David's direction. He smiled and popped the top for her.
"Shy?" he prompted. Belinda was easily distracted and looked like her coke was about to absorb all of her attention.
"Hmm? Oh yes. You know, like he doesn't have many friends," she sipped at the fizzing drink and Myra nodded her agreement.
"He's a sweet boy," Myra was the motherly type and David suspected that she'd have said the same thing about him if she were ever asked. "I remember when he was first hired on as an office assistant, he's worked his way up the ladder you know," David hadn't known that. "He always kept to himself. Not in a rude way," Myra rushed, she would hate for someone to think she had anything bad to say about someone else. "He's always polite; says good morning to me every day. He's just doesn't seem to care for being sociable."
"He probably doesn't have anybody special," Belinda said this like it was the worst thing imaginable. David suspected that for her, it would be. "Shame, good looking kid like that, all alone," she shook her head.
"He was only twenty-one when he was promoted to from office work to research, was a bit of scandal really. Lots of nasty rumors started flying around; none of them true of course," now that they were on the subject they probably wouldn't stop until someone had to leave or they ran out of information to share. David settled himself in a comfortable position and waited.
(Line Break)
"Hello, I don't think we've been formally introduced," it took a moment for Owen to realize that the comment was being directed at him and when he did finally look up, David Xanatos was standing there, a large friendly smile dominating his face. If he had expected Owen to return the friendly gesture with a smile of his own, he was greatly mistaken.
"No," Owen returned his attention to his computer and resumed typing. "We haven't."
"I'm David," there was no immediate response which wouldn't have surprised anyone else in the office. "David Xanatos, I work with-"
"Was there something you needed, Mr. Xanatos?" Owen's tone was dry. David reminded himself that Owen was shy and socially awkward and probably weary of other people in the office after his little promotion scandal the previous year. He would have to tread lightly.
"I was told you were the person to come to about information on the-" Owen pulled a manila file out of a drawer full of manila files and handed it to a startled David and went back to typing. The dark haired man opened it and blinked. "Ah, yes that's it exactly, thank you."
Owen was apparently done acknowledging his presence and David decided that a dignified retreat was in order.
A/N: For those of you who don't get it: I fixed present/past tense confusion (a rampant problem in my stories), extended the dialogue, removed unnecessary commas, and replaced whole sentences.