Authors Note: Hi guys, I got this story into my head while writing 2013 and couldn't continue with that story until I had it out of my system, so I tried to write a short one shot. It got a little longer than I planned but I managed to keep it short enough for one chapter. I hope you guys like it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. (Well I own clothes, food, a dog [okay I admit, officially my mom owns that one but I help taking are of him and he's our family dog so he's mine too] and other stuff, but sadly not the characters from this story.)
Irritating
With a sigh I pack up the laptop I used during the drive to work in my limousine. I'm nearly at the office. Soon I'll walk into it and see everyone clear my path towards the elevator, if someone was in it already they will jump out and leave it for me. If not, someone will quickly press the button to call it before leaving to clear my path. It's like this every day. I get up to my office where my secretary timidly hands me my coffee, some notes from calls and maybe some mails that already arrived at my office, along with a polite and timid greeting. Just like every day, for the last round about 10 years, since I finished high school.
Some are surprised that I didn't take my studies any further than that but I decided that it would be a waste of my precious time. I already own and run a company for years and probably know more about running a company than any professor at the University and even my kid brother probably knows more about programming and hacking than most of them too, so why bother attending classes when I can use my time to run my company? My company, that ever since my brother moved to go to a University in America, became my life.
Others would probably get lonely but I don't care, I like my life the way it is.
The limousine stops and an employee, already standing at the entrance, hurries to open my door and I hear another sigh from myself. I step out and nod after hearing the usual, "Good morning, sir."
I walk towards the glass doors of my company and right inside. Once there I see everyone hurrying to get towards the side and as far from the straight path towards the elevator as possible. Some bow a little towards me but no one addresses me.
This is how I want it. People respect me, they look up to me and at the same time, they fear me! They fear the power I have over their lives. I can kick them out with ease or worse, make sure they never find a job again. It wouldn't be the first time I destroyed someone. They all know my power and non of them would ever dare to say anything against me. This is how I want it...and I'm not lonely.
I enter the elevator and press the button for the top floor like every day, from Monday to Saturday, for the last few years. On Sundays I stay at home and work from there, since my employees apparently need a day off for some unknown reason and I rather work from home than having a different staff every day, depending on their shifts. Only the security is working every day and taking shifts but Roland is always working when I am.
The door is nearly closed when I see a hand appear in the gap and the door opes again. I stare at the face on the other side of it. A mop of blond hair surrounding a grinning face with honey eyes appears and pushes the mail cart in once the doors are fully open again. He must be new to dare something like this, but I'm sure that I know his face from somewhere and I'm nearly sure I know who he is but it can't be. That person would never even consider to work for me.
"Hey there." The care free voice of the man pushing the mail cart says. "How are ya doing?"
That accent...that voice...It can't be, can it? I don't reply unable to believe it to be him. That annoying dog can't be running around my office.
"I guess ya haven't changed all that much," The person concludes after a moment of silence and seems to be unaware of my irritation about his presence in the elevator. I'm always alone in it and even this tiny change of my routine irritates me. No one chats around this relaxed with me apart from Mokuba and he hasn't been calling for a month. It's getting less frequent since he married, I guess he has his own life to live now. "How's the kiddo doing? I haven't seen him around."
I glare at him for a moment before saying, "Fine." Hopefully he'll shut up now.
"Great, say hi to him." The man replies. It must be him but at the same time it can't be. How could Joey Wheeler appear inside of my company? It must be him since he's the only one so far who seems to be able to completely ignore my death glare. But why is he here? What drove him to work for me after the way I treated him in the past? He should hate me, if not fear me. I've proven to him that I'm stronger and that I have no friendly feelings towards him. He should hate me, so why work for me?
He starts to babble on about meaningless stuff. Like how Yugi wanted him to say hi to me when he heard that Joey would work here.
He also tells me every meaningless detail of his meaningless life. Like the job Téa found as a dancer and that Tristan is still one of his best friends too and working on a construction side. Yugi took over his grandfather´s game shop but I already knew that one. I always keep taps on my concurrent and I still want to beat Yugi in duel monsters.
He also tells me more about his life, like how his father died a few years ago and how he dated a guy for a while and really liked him and even worked with him at the same place, but then Joey found out that his boyfriend was cheating on him, just to stupidly and rashly quit his job to get some more distance between them. Shortly after that he saw an ad for the position in the mail department of my company and apparently he applied for it without hesitation. He even says that he's happy to work with me. And all I say is, "I don't get why you of all people should be happy to work for me but if you really are, you should shut the hell up and never enter the elevator when I'm in it or I will kick you out again right away."
"Yeah right." Joey Wheeler says and rolls his honey eyes. "You wouldn't throw me out and anyway, why shouldn't I be happy to work with my pal?"
The door of the elevator opens at the top floor and I leave, saying, "You're not my pal."
"Maybe I'm not yours but you're mine." Joey insists, "And if ya ever need something, you can come to me."
"How in the world could a mutt like you be of any use to me? There is nothing I need from you!" I say with disrespect and in a cold voice hoping that he finally gets the meaning of it, while the doors close in front of his face.
Just before they're completely closed he replies, "I can be a friend."
I stare at the elevator for a moment with shock before I'm able to walk towards my office door. My secretary is in front of it and holds the door open for me like usual passing a cup of hot coffee to me along with some notes. She is still staring towards the elevator and for once not saying her usual timid greeting. Another change in my routine, how irritating.
Once I'm in my office I look out of the window. A friend, why would I need one? I look out some more until I finally notice the strangest thing about this morning. Why on earth did Joey ride the elevator all the way up? Considering the time of day he can only have been picking up some mails from the front desk and still has to sort through it all. He would have to go to the mail department for that and that's located in the second floor. Why didn't he press that button to get out there? Why didn't I think of doing it? I would have gotten rid of him much sooner that way.
With a sigh I sit down behind my desk and look though the notes. After half of them I already notice that I have no idea what I'm reading at all. Why doesn't this irritating mutt leave my thoughts? I lean back in my chair and take a deep breath. 'A friend.' he said. Why would I need one? Why do I keep thinking about it? And why do I hear those words repeat in my head over and over? How irritating his voice is, to still linger in my head. That soft and tender tone. Usually he's more cheerful, but those words were spoken differently. It was caring.
With another deep breath I try to ban him from my thoughts and start working. It takes some time to completely get rid of his voice in my head but with some effort I manage to focus my mind on my work and try to forget about the change of my routine and find back to it instead. By lunch time I'm back to my usual routine. My secretary brought in the mail that Joey left with her. No, that the mail department left with her. I never address the lesser people working in my company with their names. I usually don't even know them. I respect the work they do because it's just as necessary as mine but I don't bother learning their names.
I walk out of my office to tell my secretary what kind of lunch to get me today. Not that it's really necessary. I always have a Cesar Salad for lunch and usually she already has it there. Once I've opened the door I stare at her. Joey is standing in front of her desk and she's sitting on it. She's smiling towards Joey and moving her hand along his chest, "The shirt really suits you but I bet something tighter would be better. You're so strong."
"Just a little." Joey says, "I'm always running late for work because of the part time job I do at the fish market beforehand and I really can't show up here without a nice shower before. So I'm getting lots of training that way, ya know."
Why on earth do I picture him in a shower right now? Her giggle is killing the image, putting her in it with him and nearly making me vomit. "Don't you two have to work?" I growl at them forcing her to nearly fall of her desk in shock.
"I am." She quickly says, "I just got your salad a moment ago." She adds and moves to hand it to me while I still stare at Joey.
"A salad?" Joey asks, "I thought only bunnys eat leaves."
"Don't you dare to make fun of me in my own office." I grumble while he walks closer.
"Oh, chill out." He says before leaning closer to whisper, "Don't tell me you're jealous." I can't believe his words and what's making it worse is the blush that I feel coming to my face. How dare he making me blush. No one ever manages that, how dare him do something as outrageous as that and with such a ridiculous notion to boot. "Don't worry, I'm just joking around with her and I bet you could get her. Just make her a compliment or two, that always helps."
The blush increases now that I get what he means. "You're way off target and now stop it and get back to work you useless mutt or you can look for a new job again."
"Yeah right." Joey chuckles and turns to leave. "Just go for it tiger and have some fun."
"Just get the hell out of here." I say irritated. This blasted idiot, why do I even bother and let him work here for even another second? I should kick him out right away.
"Is there anything else I can do for you sir?" She asks timidly.
I glare at her worse than ever before, "Get me a coffee and then you can have your lunch break and if I ever see something like this again you'll have to find yourself a new job too understood?"
"Sure," She says shivering, "I'm sorry."
I get back into my office and sit down with my salad in front of me. I glare at it. Being called a bunny just because I don't like eating something heavy during work. And anyway, I'm mostly sitting behind my desk so I have to watch what I eat much more than Tristan, who's working at a construction site or even Joey who walks around with that mail cart all day long. Pushing it around with his strong arms. Training his chest muscles probably too or maybe that's because of his former job or the running around he mentioned a moment ago. I wonder if his chest is really as good as she said? She certainly seemed to like it a lot. I hear a bang and just notice when I look towards it that I made that myself by hitting the desk with my fist. Why am I this irritated about it? It must be just because it was yet another change in my usual routine caused yet again by that annoying mutt. How dare he irritate me this much all day long?
Why is he even flirting with that stupid bitch? I thought he was dating a guy, so why bother flirting with some chick he hardly knows? How dare he hit on my female employees just for fun? Why did he flirt with that girl, what is it about her?
I stand up and look out of the windowed wall behind my chair. That usually calms my thoughts. I try to take a deep breath. I look over Domino City, lying at my very own feet. I can see Yugi's shop in the distance. It's even more tiny from this distance and height. I made it to the top while all those people down there are beneath me. A comforting thought. One that calms me, usually. But not today. That blond unruly mop of hair is still on my mind. A friend my ass, flirting with my secretary. Telling me what to do to get her. Is that how a friend would behave? Telling me to go for the next best woman? Not that she would be the next best. She's a stupid incapable and annoying little girl. Why in the world should I want her? She's not even attractive. Her boobs are too huge for my taste and she's always wearing a top that shows them off. Flaunting them at whoever likes to see them. Her waist is too small and her arms look like I could snap them with ease. A small smile appears around my lips and I have to admit that I would like to try that. How dare she to flirt with Joey when she was supposed to work?
So why should I want her, she's not even good in bed as I already found out. I do have a sexual encounter with some girl from time to time. I'm just a man after all, but so far no girl was worth to go for her again. She was no exception. Hardly satisfying at all. Probably less satisfying than most.
With a frown I have to admit that I can understand why she flirted with Joey though. He does have a nice body as I know from that time that he was unconscious after his duel with Marik during the Betel city tournament. His body really was something to look at, even back then and the way she reacted after touching his chest it probably still is. He's slender but not breakable looking like she is. His hair is wild but has his own lure too, just like his eyes. His warm eyes that hold so much love, especially when talking about his friends or his sister. They most certainly looked the same way when he said, "I can be a friend." this morning. His voice when he said it is still in my head. Why can't I just shake it off?
With a sigh I sit down, planning to start eating my salad and wondering what Joey is doing. Will he flirt with other girls here too? Or with other men? Maybe he's bi rather than gay. That means there would be no limits to his options. How irritating. And the fact that it is irritating me, is only irritating me more.
I start massaging my temples a little, feeling a frown break through my poker face. Why did he have to show up? I thought I'd gotten rid of him the way I treated him in high school and wouldn't have to deal with those strange feelings I get around him anymore. He always managed to irritate me. I have to get rid of him, so why don't I just fire him? Why didn't I already fire him when he talked to me just now? I should have done it and will correct that mistake the next time I see him.
I look at the time. Great, my lunch break is nearly over, I have a meeting right after it and haven't even touched my salad. By the time I'm back from my meeting it will be soaked and I really hate that. Stupid mutt, it's all his fault.
I stand up and leave my office to go to the bathroom before going to my meeting. I glare at my secretary one more time to remind her not to flirt with Joey again. I mean, not to flirt with anyone while working of course.
Once I enter the bathroom I freeze. In it is no one else than Joey Wheeler and he's standing in front of the sink trying to get a brownish stain out of his shirt that, to do so, he's no longer wearing. He looks better and worse than he used to. Better because he clearly looks more manly and more muscular than he did in high school. Worse because his ribs stick out a little at the sides. His muscles cover up most of it but he's scarringly skinny. Like he's half starved.
"You have to eat more." I hear my voice say and blush a little. Why on earth did I just say that out loud?
He looks up to me and grins, "I would, but I'm sort of broke all the time. Most people say it's because I eat too much. But apparently I still just don't gain any weight. Don't know why."
"And apparently you spill what little you can afford." I add. "You can't run around in a wet shirt and not expect to catch a cold."
"I can't run around with a stain on my shirt either." Joey sighs. "But don't worry I'll try to dry it with those." He points towards the hand dryer.
I sigh. "I have a spare shirt in my office." I say, wondering why I say that instead of firing him him as I had planned. But looking at his skinny body I simply can't take what little income he gains again now. How long was he without work? He mentioned something about a part time job this morning, did he have just that for a long time? It would explain why he took this job even if he hates me. "You can borrow it."
"Thanks moneybags." Joey says sounding surprised, "That's really nice of ya."
"Don't get used to it and move it, I've got other things to take care of too." I say and walk back to my office with a sigh, I'll probably run late for my meeting now.
Once back my secretary looks at us in surprise and Joey, who still is holding his wet shirt in his hand smiles at her. I just rush inside of my office and pass him the shirt. The doors to my office are closed by him so I ask, "Do you really want to make me fire her?"
"Why would you fire her if you like her?" Joey asks.
"I don't like her." I point out. "I told you that you're way off, you stupid mutt."
"Well, you still should go for her, she's cute." He says, "And maybe you'd get in a better mood if ya get laid."
"Just shut up." I say but he continues babbling about how she's cute and got big breasts, while getting dressed with my shirt. The shirt is too big for him, luckily, at least it doesn't show of his muscular body too much. "Say what you want but I really won't screw her again, she's seriously not worth the effort."
"Again?" He says surprised. "You already did it with her?"
I shrug. "I was bored." I say, "But like I said, she's not worth the effort. It really wasn't all that satisfying."
He stares at me before asking, "Then why did you get all jealous?"
"I wasn't." I explain with a sigh, "I just don't like it when people flirt around during work because I pay you to work and not to flirt. Got it?"
He still looks doubtfully towards me until he suddenly grabs my tie and pulls me closer. His face is so close to mine, his lips are right in front of mine and I'm too surprised to stop him when his lips move even closer, touching mine. His lips, so soft on mine, hardly touching them and yet it feels like electricity is running trough every cell of my body. He stops again much too early for me to even react and mumbles, "It was me." He sounds nearly as surprised as I feel, "I'm the one you like!"
"No." I nearly scream and push him away with enough force for him to fall to the ground. How on earth did he get to that ridiculous conclusion? I don't love him, I can't love him how could I love a stray little mutt with adorable puppy eyes and a drool worthy and wild body like his? Okay, maybe he's hot and maybe I wouldn't be completely against trying out a guy for a change if said guy is him but that's all, I don't love him, do I? "Get out of here." I scream at him and walk over to the door of my office adding, "You're fired."
He still looks a little stunned but then grins and gets up to walk towards the elevator. I just look after him, a stinging pain in my chest. Do I love him? Should I stop him? Do I want him to stay? I'm just about to call after him when the doors of the elevator open and he steps inside to turn around with the most cocky grin I've ever seen in my life and he says, "I'm not fired. You can't fire me and we both know it." After that the stupid doors close again and for the second time today I'm left speechless, staring at that elevator. How very irritating...and I most certainly do not love him.
I'm about to go back into my office and close the door when I remember the meeting and leave for it, once again trying not to think about that irritating blond mutt. How dare he tell me that I can't fire him? Of course I can. I just did!
Luckily the rest of the day runs smoothly and I don't see that blond mop of hair again. By the time I left the office and am on my way home I start to think that he did take it seriously after all and just meant that I would rehire him soon. Of course I won't do that! Why should I? I was irritated because of him for most of the day and still am irritated due to him. So why should I want him back? My hand nearly automatically moves towards my lips as I remember the feeling of his lips on mine. So much better than any kiss I ever had. How can a guy have such soft lips?
With another sigh I notice that I'm already home and exit my limousine to walk towards my mansion. A maid opens the door and bows before taking my briefcase and bringing it towards my room while I go to get my dinner. The table is ready and I sit down while another maid pours me a cup of coffee. The only reason I have that many maids is to ensure that my mansion stays clean and presentable, even though I only use a grand total of 4 rooms and the hallways from one to the other. I use my bedroom, my personal bathroom, the dining room and of course my fitness room. I used to use the library too but by now I have electronic versions of most of those books and carry them around with me at all times to read in my room. Mokuba's rooms are kept clean and ready for him in case of a visit. The same goes for the guest rooms but none of them have been used for over a year now. Including Mokuba's rooms. The rest of the rooms are in perfect shape too, or at least I assume they are, I pay my maids to ensure it.
I eat one slice of bread with my favorite cheese, wondering why there is anything else on the table. I always eat the same thing, drink my coffee and retreat towards my room to get some more work done before going to bed. It's the same this night but my thoughts keep returning to a certain mutt. Probably because due to him irritating me I have more work to do here than usual. Once I'm finally done I go to bed.
The next morning I wake up earlier than usual. I haven't slept well and kept dreaming about the kiss with the blond mutt and woke up several times due to it. How irritating.
Once I had a very cold shower I go to have my breakfast. Another slice of bread once again with my favorite kind of cheese together with a nice hot cup of coffee. Still irritated I get my briefcase and leave the mansion. My limousine is already waiting for me. Once I'm at the office I sigh and wonder if Joey did return to work after all? Will he be interrupting my routine again or not? I walk inside looking around more than usual to see if I can make out a blond mop of hair. I want to see him. Just to make sure that he isn't there, or at least that's the reason I unsuccessfully try to convince me to believe. I know that he's right. I did fall in love with him and apparently, I fell really hard, considering that I want to see him even though he did nothing but irritate me.
But I won't ask him to come back here. I'll just wait until I get over this irritating desire to see him and hope that I'll get past it fast. He's not that special after all. I enter the elevator and look at the closing door. Part of me is wishing that his hand will appear again to reopen them while another part is happy when it doesn't. I'm alone on my way up to my office and sigh. My secretary is waiting for me like always handing me a cup of coffee and some notes while holding the door open. "Good morning, sir." She says timidly as always. With another sigh I take everything offered and silently enter my office. The morning follows my usual routine. Nothing special, nothing off the norm. It shouldn't irritate me, but it does. I'm looking out of the window to calm my nerves before I go and ask my secretary for my usual salad when the door to my office opens. I turn around with a glare and say, "I didn't allow you to enter." Only then do I see to whom I said it. A certain blond is standing right there grinning cockily at me with my shirt in one hand and some mails in the other.
My heart is beating faster and I want to walk to him but I force myself to stay where I am. I still remember how he flirted with my secretary just to try and talk me into having a fling with her seconds later. He clearly doesn't care for me, so why give him an opening to torture me further?
Joey walks closer saying, "Who cares. It's not like you're going to fire me."
"I can't fire you." I say agreeing with his words from yesterday before adding with a smug smile, "Because I already did that, but I can have my security remove you from my property."
"Yeah right." Joey grins and puts my mail onto my desk. He obviously came to work after all. After that he sits down on my desk and then holds my shirt out for me. He's way too close for comfort, he hardly has to stretch his arm. If he would stretch it, he'd touch me already. I stare at him for a moment and feel my lips getting dry and my heart beating faster at the sight in front of me. His shirt is way too tight and the same goes for his pants. Both shows off way more than they should.
I take the shirt back and ask, "What do you want here?"
"Give you back your shirt, what else?" He says cheerfully. "Do ya have lunch break already?"
"Why?" I ask and glare at him.
"Because I also want to talk to ya about something." He says looking at me with his grin.
"Then talk before I have my security remove you." I say as threateningly as I can.
"I wanted to tell you that I'm really happy." He says with a warm smile. His eyes soft and caring are boring into mine.
"Happy about what?" I ask, trying not to sound overly interested even though I am rather curious what he's talking about.
"That I was wrong." He says and I wonder if he thinks that he was wrong about my feelings for him. It would be for the best. It will make it easier to get rid of him without getting hurt to much.
"Wrong about what?" I want to know and can hear my own curiosity in my voice. How irritating that he forces me to show what I feel.
"About you liking her." He says and I try not to show that it matters to me. But it does. It still hurts to think that he would just push me towards her, not caring if I like someone else than him. Even wanting me to be with someone. Telling me to get laid just to get into a better mood. "I'm trying to say that I meant what I said yesterday. I wanted to be a friend for ya, since ya always seem to be alone around here. And I would have helped ya if ya liked her, but I'm happy that ya don't. I'm happy that ya like me instead."
I stare at him. What the hell is he trying to imply with this? Does he try to tell me that he cares about me? That he only tried to push me towards some girl in the believe that it's what I wanted, even though he wanted something else? But what does he want? Just some meaningless sex?
He smiles at me and then suddenly grabs my tie again to pull me closer. "I'm really happy that I can have you instead."
"Have me ..how?" I growl unable to hide the anger about his implication to just want to screw around with me.
"Honestly, I want to move in with you as fast as I can. Maybe that will help me get more food too." He says cheerfully and completely oblivious to my anger. "But it's probably a little early for that, so how about we go on a date tonight? But you'd have to pay since I'm spending all my money on rent and food."
"Do you earn that little working for me or do you have that little left from your last job that you need to flirt with me?" I ask, still irritated. How dare he flirt with me just to get some free food?
The next thing I know is that I'm pressed against my window. When the hell did he get that fast and strong? "Do ya really think I would do that? Do ya really think that I'm the kind of guy who'll try to get someone rich to screw with just to have it easier? I don't care what you give me. For all I care we can go to something different, something that doesn't cost anything, like a walk through the park or just cuddle somewhere. If I move in with ya I'm willing to pay at least as much rent as I did for my current place, just get it into your head that I really like you and that I just want that stupid irritable jerk of a guy you are. And that I won't give up now that I know that you like me too."
Before I can say anything at all he just suddenly kisses me. This time it's different than yesterday. His lips are pressing against mine with much more force. I can feel his teeth bite my bottom lip gently and I open my mouth just to feel his tongue move into my mouth. It feels so good that it takes a moment before I notice that he's taking all the control over the kiss. I move us around with one swift move and start to fight him for dominance over the kiss. How irritating of him to try and take it for himself?
"But we should go out for some food." He says after a while between kisses," You're even skinnier than I am."
He's still irritating me, and probably will continue to do it, since I have no intention of allowing him to leave me.