Just a little experiment to see if I can write something that doesn't have USUK as the main pairing. Enjoy!

The Beilschmidt Company was a well-known marketing corporation in the business world. They had advertised some of the most well known products, as well as making the not so well known ones suddenly popular. Their marketing methods were one a kind, something that made them stand out in corporate society as the company that would make any product successful, no matter what that product was. The current head of the Beilschmidt Company was an expert in knowing the right ways to gain the public's attention and using it to his advantage. His ideas always seemed over the top, but were always successful. His innovative way of thinking gained him the respect of many, and had declared him the genius of the marketing world by multiple magazines, newspapers, and talk show hosts.

Gilbert Beilschmidt was an expert in his field, but he pretty much failed at everything else.

"Mr. Beilschmidt, it's time to wake up." Gilbert groaned into his pillow and stayed exactly how he was- spread about in his king-sized bed in only a pair of boxers. The owner of the voice sighed and tried once again to wake up his boss, but it was no good. Gilbert was as stubborn as mule, especially in the mornings, and it would take a lot of patience and creativity to wake the man up. Unfortunately for the sleeping man, Matthew was hired specifically for those skills.

Matthew quickly glanced at his watch, noting that there was an hour left before the meeting began, and headed straight for Gilbert's closet. He found the item he needed- a giant water gun his boss had bought for fun- and speed walked to the kitchen. Matthew filled the water gun with water from the sink and returned to Gilbert's room. The man had not switched positions at all, his bear back an easy target for Matthew. Matthew aimed the gun at his boss. "Mr. Beilschmidt, this is your last warning." Gilbert sleepily waved him away and returned to his pillow. The corners of Matthew's mouth lifted up into a smirk. "Suit yourself." Then he pulled the trigger.

"Schiebe!" Gilbert screamed, rolling off his bed in a tangle of soaked bed sheets to get away from the spray of water. Matthew bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, though he couldn't quite keep in the occasional snicker. No matter how many times he did it, he would never get tired of his boss's expression after being rudely woken up. It made waking up in the early hours of the morning much more enjoyable.

Matthew ignored the dirty glare his employer was giving him and pulled out his phone. "Good morning, Mr. Beilschmidt." He spoke formally to the man in front of him, as if he hadn't just sprayed him with water. "You have a meeting with Mr. Vargas at 10 to discuss the new project, followed by another meeting at 11:30 to discuss the expansion of the company internationally. There is also a meeting with a potential client after-"

"Yeah, yeah I got it." Gilbert grumbled. He pulled himself up and headed for the bathroom. Matthew silently followed after him. He was used to his boss's lack of excitement in the morning. Frankly, it was the best time of the day for him. His job always became increasingly more difficult when Gilbert was fully awake. And heaven help him when Gilbert felt mischievous…Matthew was still sending out gift baskets after the last time.

"Don't take too long." Matthew told him. "You have a meeting at 10, remember?"

Gilbert shrugged and swung open the bathroom door. "I told you I got it." The look he sent Matthew sent shivers down his spine. "But if you're so worried I'm going to be late, why don't you join me in the bath, Mattie."

Matthew gave him a deadpanned look before lifting the water gun up to his boss's face and pulling the trigger again.

Gilbert flipped him off and was able to slam the door shut before Matthew decided to throw the plastic toy at him.

Once the meeting with Lovino Vargas had ended, Gilbert went straight to his office. His tie was loosened and his shoes were off before the door had a chance to close. He flopped onto the couch ungracefully, letting out a loud sigh. Lovino Vargas, though quite a good acquaintance of his, had the unfortunate ability of being able to drain Gilbert's energy. He didn't know the cause of it, though he had a sinking suspicion that the head of the Vargas Company did it on purpose at times to make his life difficult. Of course Gilbert always returned the favor, always managing to make Lovino frustrated within the first five minutes of their meeting, but it was taxing to return cleverly hidden insults behind seemingly polite words and business talk.

Gilbert closed his eyes and tried his best to fall asleep before his personal assistant found out he was here. He knew it was only a matter of minutes, however, before Matthew found him. The blond had a knack for knowing where Gilbert was at all times- which was a bit creepy in his opinion but efficient. If he was honest, he was actually impressed Matthew could be so organized, especially with a boss like Gilbert.

Matthew Williams was an oddity to him. Though he had such a sweet- almost adorable- face, the same could not be said for his attitude. Yes, Matthew was polite and strictly professional most of the times but was quite the aggressive individual when he wanted to be. Gilbert would never forget the time he had decided to skip a meeting to get a beer. Matthew had found him in record time and had, literally, dragged him by his tie all the way to the conference room.

His previous personal assistants would have never even thought of doing that to him. They would have just let him be and anxiously explain to the other members of the meeting that he was running late, or some other typical excuse, in fear of Gilbert firing them. Matthew didn't care whether or not Gilbert cursed him out or fired him, and would do whatever was necessary to get him to where he needed to be. He was intelligent, strong, fierce, and had a cute face- everything Gilbert liked in a man.

It was such a shame he couldn't sleep with his assistant.

It wasn't because of the boss-employee relationship they had. Frankly, Gilbert didn't give a fuck about that. He had his fair share of relations within the workspace, much to his brother's disapproval. No, the reason he didn't dare make a move was because the man was taken. Horribly, and completely in love with some French guy Matthew had vaguely talked about only a few times. Gilbert could still vividly remember the way Matthew's eyes softened into adoration, his lips curling into a smile, as he mentioned his lover. Not that he would ever admit it out loud, but that expression made him feel as if a knife had stabbed his heart. He had inkling as to why, but he didn't really feel like delving into his feelings more than that. He had a company to run. Emotions like the ones he occasionally felt around his assistant would only hinder its success.

So he locked those feelings away, only allowing his lust to appear ever so often by harmless flirting. Matthew never took him seriously anyway. He would flush red sometimes, yes, but never would he respond with flirtations of his own. His assistant was loyal to his partner, and that made Gilbert just like him even more.

He fell asleep a bit after that thought, his arm resting on his face so as to cover his eyes. He was deep in sleep by the time someone briefly knocked on his door before it opened. Matthew walked in, his eyes instantly going towards the couch, and silently closed the door behind him. He made his way to the small closet on the far side of the room and retrieved a blanket. Gently, he covered his boss with it and smiled when Gilbert unconsciously rolled to the side, the blanket bunched up in his hands as if it were a teddy bear.

Matthew took his phone out, did a few calculations in his head, and decided Gilbert deserved a thirty-minute nap.

He made his way to leave the room, but then decided against it. Instead, he sat at the edge of the couch where Gilbert's legs were and began to play a game on his phone. Five minutes in, he got bored and put it away. He spent the remaining twenty-five minutes staring at his boss's ever changing expression. If it weren't for the alarm he placed on his phone earlier, he would have likely spent more than a few hours doing so.

"Mattie!" Gilbert tugged on his assistant's sleeve like a child. "Please get me out of this!"

"I can't." Matthew repeated for the tenth time in a row. He was beginning to grow annoyed with his boss's constant nagging and was close to smacking him silly. "You already said you would attend. If you had told me last week, I may have found a way but three hours before the dinner? Even I can't do that Mr. Beilschmidt."

Gilbert was invited to attend a dinner party in Manhattan. Though it was not in his style to attend, as Matthew knew very well from experience, he had uncharacteristically agreed to it without a fight. He would not tell Matthew why, but he had a guess.

Elizabeta Hedevary. She was a powerful CEO to a company overseas specializing in technology (he only knew that because she was his brother's main competitor). From what he could piece together from Gilbert's weekly drunken confessions, he and Elizabeta had attended school together since they were kids, and began dating when they turned seventeen. They had dated for years, most of it from two different continents, until a few years ago. Matthew did not know the details, but he could tell their breakup had been messy and bitter. The distant look in his boss's eyes when something just the wrong shade of green entered his field of vision told him enough.

Despite that, Gilbert had decided to attend the dinner he knew she was going to be at. He had acted as his normal, berating self about it- Mattie call my tailor, I want to look more awesome than everyone there and Mattie I'm not backing out, schiebe, stop looking like you don't believe me!- until he read the final list of attendees. Elizabeta was still attending but she was bringing a guest.

Matthew didn't know who Roderich Edelstein was, or what he meant to his boss, but he had a pretty good guess from the dark look that passed across his face. Gilbert had crumpled the sheet in his hands, picked up his coat, and left his hotel suite. Matthew followed him for a few steps before his boss frankly told him to stay put in the coldest voice he had ever heard come from him. Matthew had been paralyzed with something he recognized as fear long enough for Gilbert to run off somewhere, probably the nearest bar.

Approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes later- Matthew had been keeping constant watch out of worry- Gilbert had knocked on his door- because the man insisted on bringing him everywhere, even on business trips- wearing a rumpled shirt, missing tie, and smelling of alcohol. He had then proceeded to wrap his arms around Matthew while mumbling about how much of a teddy bear he was.

Used to these drunken acts already, Matthew sighed and dragged his boss to the couch. After a few cups of water, Gilbert had somewhat calmed down, but had began asking (read: whining and begging) for Matthew to get him out of the dinner party in a few hours. As much as Matthew told him that it was nearly impossible to do so last minute, Gilbert was persistent. After the hundredth time he asked, Matthew snapped.

"I can't, okay?!" Matthew practically yelled, his composure finally broken. "Get that through your thick skull already! You're just going to have to go and suck it up! I'm not some miracle worker that can get you out of seeing you ex with another man!"

Gilbert froze. Though his face lowered so that his hair covered his eyes, Matthew could feel his hands trembling from their position on his arm. He inwardly cursed himself for his stupidity. He had a tendency to say what was on his mind when he grew irritated. His brother could vouch for that. That, however, was no excuse. Matthew was supposed to be the one keeping Gilbert in control, not the one breaking it. An apology was on the tip of his tongue but Gilbert beat him to it.

"I know." Gilbert's voice was low that it was practically a whisper. He gripped Matthew's arm desperately, making the blond wince. "I fucking know, okay? But that doesn't mean I want to see it. I don't think I can handle it. She's…fuck." Gilbert leaned forward and rested his head on the crook of Matthew's shoulder. Matthew stiffened at the contact but was somewhat able to relax when he felt tears stain his shirt. "Bitte, Matthew. I'll give you a raise or something. Hell, I'll even go to my meetings on time. Please, get me out of this."

Matthew was quiet for a long time. Then he carefully adjusted Gilbert so he could pull out his phone. "Why couldn't you be a happy drunk?" He muttered as he dialed the host's number.

Gilbert huffed out a laugh that tickled against Matthew's neck. "You would've quit a long time ago."

Matthew didn't dare contemplate his boss's drunken words and began speaking to the host of the party.

Matthew should have expected for Gilbert to lose the key to his room. He would have gone down to the front desk to ask for a copy, but he was afraid of leaving Gilbert alone. Heavens know what his boss would do. It was fortunate that his boss had passed out almost immediately after Matthew informed him he no longer had to attend the party. The man was easier to move around when he was unconscious.

Matthew laid Gilbert down on the sofa and went to the bedroom. He grabbed the extra set of pillows and blankets from the bed for his boss and had even managed to place the blanket over him when his phone rang, loud and clear throughout the room. Matthew quickly reached for it and ended the call without looking at who it was. He looked at his boss and heaved a sigh of relief that the man hadn't even budged.

After making sure Gilbert was comfortable, Matthew headed to his bedroom and closed the door. He unlocked his phone to see that it was his brother who had called him. "I should've known." Matthew sighed. His brother always did have the worst timing.

Matthew sat on the bed and dialed his brother's number. He answered on the second ring. "You're so mean Matt!"

"Hi Alfred." The corners of his mouth lifted up into a smile. It had been a while since he'd talk to his brother. "What do you want?"

He could practically hear Alfred pouting. "What, no 'I'm sorry for not answering I had a thing?'"

"I'm sorry for not answering, I had a thing."

"You ass, you don't even mean it." Alfred laughed.

"I meant some of it." Matthew's smile got wider. God he missed Alfred. "So is there a reason for calling me or is this a part of your plan to get me fired?"

"Nah, I have way better things to do than that. I have things to do, people to see, all that stuff. I barely even have time to play video games anymore Matt, that's how busy I am. Really bus-"

"Al." Matthew spoke. "You're stalling."

Alfred then proceeded to go on about a guy he had met at a charity event and how, although the guy had an instant dislike towards him, Alfred was very curious to get to know him. "He's English Matt and if you hear his accent-"

"What does this have to do with me?" Though Matthew had an idea as to what his brother was thinking.

"The guy's an author, a pretty famous one apparently, and his editor is your boyfriend." Matthew should've placed a bet on this. He would've won. "Francis won't let me near him! At the party, he even dragged him away from me! And glared! Can you believe that Matt?"

"Yeah, actually." Matthew sighed. "Arthur Kirkland is Francis's childhood friend so of course he'd be overprotective, Al."

"How did you-"

"It's the only person Francis would protect from you." Matthew shrugged. He decided to omit the part that he agreed with his boyfriend. There was a reason why more than a few magazines dubbed his brother 'Player of the Year'. "Though from what you told me, Arthur doesn't even like you. You should leave him be Alfred."

"I will when he tells me that to my face." Matthew's eye twitched. His brother's spoiled nature always showed up in times like these. What Alfred wanted, he got. This is why he chose to work for Gilbert instead of his brother. At least Gilbert admitted he was a spoiled brat. "Anyways! How's work? Should I start planning Beilschmidt's demise?"

"Work's fine." Matthew spoke. "It's nothing I can't handle."

Alfred made a sound of contemplation and then, hesitantly, said," You know, that offer to work for me is still on the table. I know you've said no before, but I worry about you Matt. Beilschmidt doesn't exactly have the best reputation."

Matthew looked in the vague direction of where Gilbert was sleeping on the sofa. He wouldn't deny that working for Gilbert was a challenge. The man was egotistical, selfish, and overall annoying. It wasn't that hard to understand why so many people had quit being his assistant. Matthew himself had considered it on more than one occasion. However, there was something about him that kept Matthew from doing so. It wasn't the paycheck or Gilbert's intelligence. It wasn't even the satisfaction of doing a job that many couldn't.

It was those rare moments when Gilbert would let his guard down and just be himself around Matthew that kept him glued to his side. Matthew didn't know why that meant so much to him- or rather, he chose to not think about it- but it just did. It was something that couldn't be named and shouldn't be. Not yet, at least.

"Sorry, Al, the answer's still the same." A smile graced his face. "I think I'll keep this job."