"Yes, I can assure you we'll make it" Toris spoke with his boss over the phone, reassuring in a calm voice " Yes, I'll be sending the works as soon as we finish" he sighed after repeating it for what felt like the twentieth time "Thank you, I'll pass the message. Bye"
"We will have a break till next monday and we're getting a bonus for this job" He smiled at Feliks, who was alot more conscious then yesterday afternoon. His hair was pulled up and held in place with even more pins. He looked pleased with the news.
The blond turned around to the screen of the laptop and went back to work. He was humming quite loudly now. Toris noticed it some time ago, the more Feliks was stressed at work the more he singed or lip-synced with the music.
Opening today's playlist were 3 songs by Britney Spears.
It was late evening and last tweaks were made at the desk in the other half of the room.
Toris felt guilty, he might have spent all of his Ester holidays at someones flat working, but he had slept quite well on convertible sofa bed. He felt tired and all he did was helping with some of the research and preparation for print. Nothing much in comparison to the blond, that sat at the desk everyday trying to finish before the deadline.
Toris was finishing uploading files into the office servers, his boss would step inside his office in few hours, download them and glance over every picture. His boss would definitely feel refreshed after the holidays. His boss would be immaculately dressed. His boss would not have red eyes. Better to stop with this passive-agressive thinking and suck it up for the last fifteen minutes.
Next to him sat Feliks with face upheld on his hands and bored expression.
The upload was taking forever.
Toris clicked to end the session after the file transfer finished.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
It was 5 am on Tuesday morning.
Toris groaned as he woke up in the late afternoon. He was still wearing his clothes, not his best ensemble, P.E. shorts that remembered high school days and a stinking shirt. His neck was stiff from lying on the side. With his tired, unfocused eyes he saw his colleague sleeping face. Inches away. Toris snickered, Feliks was drooling from the corner of the mouth and looked like a kid having a dream about candy store. Did he shave everyday, because his skin was very smooth.
The editor slowly got up, head painfully throbbing and decided to make breakfast or dinner, depending on classification. Breakfast counting the order of the meals in a day, dinner counting the time.
Feliks rose from the sofa less then 20 minutes later and made a frantic dash for the bathroom. That was embarrassing. How could he fall asleep and let a work colleague see him so dishevelled and definitely not fresh. Tired faced looked back at him from the mirror.
"Ya don't look half bad, old boy" Feliks shot to the reflection then started to strip himself of his beloved lilac cardigan and white jeans. He need a shower.
"Feliks are you there, when are you gonna come out? I made a meal, it will be cold." came form the other side of the door, over the sound of running water. His stomach came to life at the word meal.
"Oh, I'll be out in a second"
Feeling fresh and at least as twice conscious Feliks emerged from bathroom. Toris was siting on now made sofa checking something on his laptop.
"The breakfast is ready in the kitchen" He smiled at the blond and motioned in the general direction of the table.
"Thanks" Feliks said quietly and walked over to the kitchen-dining area, "Wohoa, that looks totally amazing" his face lit up "You totally made my day with this."
"Half'a day" Toris corrected.
They exchanged some small talk over the course of their meal.
"So, you've got any siblings?" The illustrator had no qualms about talking with his mouth full, it reminded Toris of Alfred.
"Yeah, I have a younger brother, Raivis."
"Wow, I'm also the older brother"
Toris smiled, he always felt more in place when he could bond over simple things with others. "Brothers or sisters?"
"Both, one each. The sister is the younger one. She's ten years younger than me and literary everyone spoils that little princess rotten" Feliks smiled more to himself than his co worker.
"Well, I always had a firm grip when upbringing Raivis" The other said with mock seriousness
"Really, didn't think ya had it in ya." The illustrator grinned, his green eyes flashing with mischievousness "So what has your poor little boy done without you during Easter?" Toris felt ja bit self conscious with this question, meanwhile the blond dug around pockets of his cardigan and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. "Do you mind" Not awaiting response, he lit one up and inhaled slowly.
"Well, he spent Easter with a friend" Toris tired to be as vague in his explanation as possible. He glanced at the window. It seemed a fair enought distraction.
"Girlfriend" Feliks corrected in the same taunting yet firm voice Toris heard from his mother in high school whenever romance was involved. Busted.
"Well, kind of" The window was proving more and more interesting. He tried to sound as casual as possible saying the next sentence "My brother has a boyfriend"
That earned him another grin form his coworker "Oh, don't be soo embarrassed. You're a fan of Francis novels, how come you're so prudish?"
"Wha…What? I never said I'm a fan." The editors voice rose unnaturally, making him even more self conscious.
"Oh my little boy, I can see you like them from the glint in you eyes." That was not true. Definitely.
"Actually I'm twenty-five" Toris said with a voice like he was a rebellious teenager.
"Ya still have to listen to me then, I'm older" the illustrator got his empty plate and put it into the sink "So, you' re taking me for drinks today as I was such a totally awesome guy and finished everything for the deadline. It's your duty as an editor."
It wasn't. At least not in the contract.
Toris felt a bit off loop, wasn't Feliks suppose to be shy.
I'll be updating more when I get myself to correct the drafts, for now it's drinking night every night for me