Story: I'm Not in Love With My Manager!
Rating: T+
Chapter 1: Seeds
"There's someone else," Roderich said solemnly, his head sinking between his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Gilbert. I'm so, very sorry..."
Gilbert angrily snatched the engagement ring from Roderich's shaking hands and threw it back into his breast pocket. He choked back the tears that so desperately wanted to flood out, and with every last bit of composure in his being, he spat out one word:
"Leave."
Four months of being single. Three weeks of job hunting. The odds weren't looking to be in Gilbert Beilschmidt's favor. Fortunately for him, the job hunt would be the easiest part. He wouldn't dare quit searching until he'd called every business, every restaurant in town. Someone must be hiring, and he wouldn't give in until he had a plastic name tag on his chest and a steady income to his bank. Even if it meant flipping burgers and asking if a
The heartbreak, however, has left scars. Every day, Gilbert wakes up alone in his bed, which is much-too-large for one person; the left side remains empty. Every day, he scrolls past The Voice on the TV Guide and recalls Roderich forcing Gilbert to watch it with him. Every day, he puts on a smile for his younger brother, his friends, and maybe even himself. He wasn't too sure who it was for, anymore. Eventually, he had dealt with the worst of the pain, and could finally drink beer and watch an episode of The Voice without feeling sick to his stomach.
But for now, first thing's first:
"The beer in the fridge won't restock itself," The German mumbled to himself as he twirled an empty bottle in his hand. Gilbert drank the last of the frothy foam that sat at the bottom of the bottle before tossing it over his shoulder with the rest of its fallen comrades. He stretched his arms over his head and turned off the television- time to get down to business. He drew a glass of water and gathered an old phonebook from underneath the coffee table. Gilbert made himself comfortable in his old recliner with his phone in hand, turning his livingroom into his very own personal phonebooth. Starting with the letter 'A', he began calling every business listed in the book
...As fate would have it, luck was not on his side.
"Are you hiring?"
"Sorry, we're not."
Click.
"Do you have any openings?"
"Our last opening was just takin', sorry."
Click.
"Anything at all?"
"No, sorry."
Click.
Two and a half hours later, Gilbert had absolutely no leads. The time was now 4:30 P.M, and common sense told him businesses would soon be closing. He picked up the phone again and madly started dialing where he left off, in the 'R' section. A lot of businesses must have already closed, as many numbers went straight to voicemail. Cursing his luck, Gilbert kept dialing. After nearly making his mind to give up for the night, one call made it through.
On the other line, he heard the sound of the phone being fumbled with before a calming voice came forth. "Hello, thank you for calling Roserimmon Flowers. This is Daniel. How may I help you today?" The man's voice was so smooth, Gilbert was lost in his train of thought and nearly forgot he was still on the phone.
"Uh, yeah! A-Ahem," Gilbert cleared his throat, "My name's Gilbert Beilschmidt. I saw your number and thought I'd ask if you happen to be hiring at the moment."
"We sure are. Come visit us sometime." Although Gilbert couldn't see the man's face, he knew the voice on the other end of the line- 'Daniel'- was smiling. "We've just closed, but stop by tomorrow, if you'd like."
Gilbert nodded excitedly, but the gesture was in vain over the phone. Joy overcame him. "Really?! Awesome! - cough, I mean, uh... That would be great. Thank you." Gilbert tried to maintain composure up until the call was completely finished. He slammed down the phone and jumped for joy on his couch, screeching his victory cry. His pet bird- cleverly named 'Gilbird'-, nervously peeked out from inside his cage and quickly retreated to his feeding bowl.
Gilbert knew he didn't get the job just yet; he still needed to fill out the application, turn in his resume, go to the interview and talk about why he is the most qualified to be-
Wait...
"I don't know the first thing about flowers," Gilbert realized, sinking his face into his hands. He feel to his knees in agony. Gilbert had gotten so caught up in looking for a job- any job- that halfway through the phone book, he stopped looking at the types of businesses he was calling. Thank goodness no flashy strip joints in town were hiring, or this might be a completely different story altogether. Flustered, Gilbert hit his palm against the wall and leaned against it for support. "What am I going to do...?"
The Next Day . . .
Roserimmon wasn't too far of a route from Gilbert's house. It was a twenty minute route by foot, but probably only a five minute drive if Gilbert could score a ride from his younger brother, Ludwig. The store was easy to distinguish from the other buildings on Main Street. Roserimmon had a green and white awning, and an simple yet stylish wooden fence around it. A dozen different species of flowers littered the yard, some of which Gilbert had never seen before.
He nervously approached the front door. A "Now Hiring" sign hung just above the doorknob, and he drew inspiration from it before entering. A deep breath, and he was in. Chimes signaled his entrance into the small shop.
"Hello?"
Gilbert stepped into the building and let the door close behind him with a tiny rattle. The shop itself was not impressive. It was simple, with wooden shelves here and there, filled with complex flower arrangements and gift bouquets. Another corner of the store was dedicated for candy bars and other sweet confections.
Before long, Gilbert's eyes met a tall man who stood behind the counter. He wore a green apron and a nametape Gilbert couldn't quite make out from his distance. "Welcome!" The man smiled. Gilbert met the man's green-eyed gaze with unease. The man's long, light brown hair stood out immediately. It was long, like a girl's, but he wore it in a loose ponytail that hung over one shoulder. Although the look wouldn't work on most people, it suited his graceful features very well.
"Are you here for pickup?" The man behind the resister smiled. His voice was that of the man Gilbert spoke to yesterday over the phone.
Gilbert waved his arms in front of him. "Oh, no, I'm not."
"I see. How can I help you today?"
"I called yesterday about a job opening," Gilbert announced.
The man smiled. Gilbert caught a glimpse of his silver name tag pinned to his apron. He could barely read the etching, but in the light, it clearly read, "Daniel".
"'Gilbert', was it?" Daniel wiped his hands on his apron and offered a handshake. Surprised that the other man remembered his name, Gilbert met his handshake and nodded. Daniel's grip was firm and confident- it made Gilbert worry that his own was cold and clammy.
"That's me," Gilbert proudly owned up to his name. He took a pen out from his jacket and clicked it once. "So, where can I pick up an application? I brought my resume with me, as well... As for an interview-"
Daniel laughed and put a hand out. "Woah, woah," he said, still chuckling. "Slow down. I'll be right back." He disappeared into a door that read, 'Employees Only'. The red door shut behind him with a loud thud that made the floorboards rattle. Gilbert used Daniel's absence as a chance to regain himself. He was coming off as too strong. He needed to play it cool if he wanted this to be a successful job hunt.
A click of the Employee's Door signaled Daniel's return.
"Here," Daniel called, "You've got the job." When Gilbert looked up, Daniel was holding out something in his hand. He took it from Daniel and found himself holding what felt like a ball of linen in his hand. He held it up to the ceiling unravel it. It quickly unrolled and to it's full length and took the form of a green apron. The word "Roserimmon" was embroidered by hand onto it with white thread.
Gilbert was dumbfounded. "What about the interview? And my resume?" He quickly dug into his back pocket and held out a bundle of papers held together by binder clips. He gestured for Daniel to take it, but Daniel only waved his hand, as if to dismiss Gilbert's concerns.
"Oh, we won't be needing that."
"But I don't even know the first thing about flowers or arrangements," Gilbert blurted out. He realized the meaning of what he just said and quickly wished he hadn't.
But Daniel only smirked. "That's fine," he said, resting his chin on his palm as he leaned further over the counter, "So long as you are willing to learn."
Something about the way Daniel carried himself struck Gilbert as unsettling. Who in the world would hire a man off the streets without so much as an interview? For all Daniel knew, Gilbert could be a seasoned crook, straight out of prison. This man trusts too easily. But as odd as the situation was, Gilbert couldn't be more thankful. H
Interrupting Gilbert's train of thought, the bells on the door jingled as a trail of customers entered Roserimmon. Rush hour. Daniel stood up and lightly patted Gilbert on the shoulder as he walked to the front of the store. In passing, Daniel whispered, "Allow me help these kind customers and we'll discuss your pay and hours."
He marveled at the man in wonder as the customers flocked to him like birds to a wire;
The looks in their eyes were nothing less than admiration.
A/N:
Male!Hungary always struck me as a masculine guy who happens to like flowers and sweets; this fanfic is a byproduct of that headcanon. I like being able to write a story in which Prussia is in a subordinate position under male!Hungary; that means he really has to watch his oresama attitude around his boss!
What does the future have in store for these two coworkers...?
Character Reference Sheet:
Gilbert Beilschmidt - Prussia, the ever-awesome protagonist.
Daniel Héderváry - Male!Hungary, owner of Roserimmon Flowers.
Roderich Edelstein - Austria, ex-lover of Prussia.
Ludwig Beilschmidt - Germany, younger brother of Prussia.