It was not too uncommon for Dimitri to close himself off when his lack of sleep and hallucinations about dead people started to get the best of him. He would retreat away for a day or two, then appear refreshed and even sunny, for lack of a better term, once he had gotten word of a new project to work on.
This programming company was her boss' very life. She would wager her bottom dollar that the business was the thing he cared the most about, on what he sunk the most effort and love to have it prosper. Considering he had just an estranged step-sister in the way of family, and all his friends were employed in that office, one would find his dedication almost reasonable.
Yesterday, Sylvain had confirmed that they closed on a large project and that they should start working on it right away. However, this has been Byleth's third time calling her boss, her second voicemail and still there is no reply.
The prospect of a new project has always managed to break Dimitri out of his funk, allowing him to focus on something other than the thoughts that constantly plagued his mind. Alas, it seems, that he has dug himself a little too deep this time around, and even his prized company has not been positioning itself as much of a prospect to break him out of it.
Pulling the device away from her ear, the secretary caught eyes with Felix. His gaze was slightly hopeful as he was also unable to get through to Dimitri. Yet, with a small shake of her head, she signalled she, too, has had no such luck. The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before quietly going back to his desk and concerning himself with his work.
Byleth decided to follow suit the example and focused on the open spreadsheet on her computer screen. The Winter Solstice would come sooner rather than later, and she had to organize the yearly bonus pay-out and the taxes for filing season coming the New Year. There is much to be done, even if the boss was not around to check on it.
It was only after she had all but finished her day's work, as the other employees pick up their jackets and leave, that she thought about the blue-eyed owner of the office behind her chair.
The blue-haired woman checks her phone once more to see if she had missed a call since the afternoon. Seiros, at this point, she would be more than content with anything, even a reassuring text. However, nothing had come through.
So, once she tidied up her desk and made sure she was completely alone, Byleth opened a locked drawer from her desk and fetched a key card. It was time to pay her favourite programmer a visit.
The blond man had given her a key to his home in confidence, and she made sure to honour it. She kept it very well hidden in her work station and refused to use it unless she was explicitly asked or it was a serious emergency. Neither scenario has ever played out before, but such a prolonged absence in such a critical moment certainly demanded drastic action.
The blue-haired secretary walked through the lobby with her chin held high as her stiletto heels tapped against the marble floor, using the key card to call on the elevator that would take her to the penthouse.
It was the first time she has been here. Byleth does her boss' taxes every year, along with the company's taxes, and so the opulence of the place is of no surprise to her. The software business brought in a decent income, even with the generous terms that they treated their employees, but that is little more than a drop in the bucket, pocket money in those obscene accounts. He earns more than she will ever do in her lifetime on his passive investments alone.
The Blaiddyd name is linked to the old aristocracy in Fhirdiad, and even if she never really cared for society pages, she knew that they were wealthy and influential. It was hard to, since the bus she rode from her home to her job every morning passed straight in front of a castle that bore the epithet.
It had been abundantly clear to her, even before she began working for Dimitri, that he did not really need to be there. She finds that her boss works hard because he believes in what he does, because he enjoys the hard labour, and she finds that she respects that.
She rang the buzzer, and Byleth waited patiently for his voice to be heard from the device. However, after a few minutes of waiting, there was no answer.
Sighing heavily, she rang the buzzer again. The woman knew very well that the blond was home for the night as she had managed to catch a glimpse of a light being on from under the door.
"You shouldn't be here."
The soft, sore voice sounding from the device scared her, almost causing her to lose her composure. She bit at sher lip, stepping closer to the door.
"Dimitri, I had to make sure you were okay. You missed my calls today about the new project we got." She pointed out.
She was hoping that the argument would be enough for him to open up the door for the to talk, or at least for her to have a good look at him. For her, it was important to have more of a visual confirmation that he was truly well, but the door only offered her silence in return.
"Dimitri?" Byleth called. "Can I come in?"
Still, no answer came from the apartment.
The secretary figured that he did not want her to be there, and it was best not to push too much. Perhaps she could stop by before going to the office tomorrow, or call Felix and hope he has more luck than she did.
Feeling disheartened, she sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her as she turned to catch the elevator down.
She only made it a few steps away from the apartment before the open swung open behind her.
"What… What is this business about a new project?" Dimitri asked quietly.
The puerile quality to his question made Byleth smile and nod as she turned around to face him.
"Yes, Sylvain finally managed to land the contract with the Ministry of Health this week." The woman informed him. "If you want it, I can give you the brief tonight. I think we are missing a certain touch."
The blond smiled at her words, stepping away from the doorway to let her through. He helped her out of her coat and hung it on the closed, letting her get comfortable before guiding she to the bar stools in his kitchen.
"So, this new project." Dimitri segues. "What has Sylvain said about the minutia with the contract?"
Byleth went on to explain all that she has heard and show him the documents she had notated these last two days of work, making sure he knew every detail that she could possibly transmit ahead of a team meeting.
"I guess I have to go into the office tomorrow." He concludes, energized. "Can you let the others know? We should sit down and discuss the software plan, there are some things I want to change to incorporate the comments from the Ministry officials."
The secretary reached for her work bag, so she could pick up her mobile. "I'll send them an email tonight."
He picked at something on the counter, a slight frown falling darkly over his features. She lifted her hand from her lap, hovering just above his shoulder when she stopped.
"May I... Touch you, Dimitri?" The secretary asks, softly.
A belated breath later, he nodded. Sighing at the warmth of her hand as it made contact with his sweater. A small part of him wanting to lend into the touch, yet he kept himself upright as her thumb rubbed gently circles. That almost made him melt.
"Have you eaten anything today, Dimitri?" Her voice soft and gentle as she spoke, and with a small shake of his head, she stood from her seat.
Byleth offered a small pat to the man's shoulder before heading into the kitchen to make him something simple. She knew, after so many lunch disasters, that her boss is majorly ambivalent about food, being able even to stomach the terrible cooking from her cousin Flayn, but he only actually enjoyed a very limited number of dishes.
A moment later, a cheese gratin, made out of that annoyingly fancy cheese which was Sylvain's go-to choice for any gift giving occasion, was pushed in front of him. He looked up surprised, finding her sweet smile as she nodded for him to eat before starting to clean up the mess she made.
He ate, pleasantly reminded once again of the care and attention his secretary dispensed over him. He held back tears as he ate what he could, already feeling the onset of sickness creep into the pit of his stomach.
He pushed the plate away, letting Byleth quickly grab it and take it away before he could stand from his seat and bring it around the island.
"You don't have to do that." The man said, rather embarrassed.
She shrugged, rinsing off the dishes and quickly cleaning them before setting them up to dry.
"I made the mess, so I'm cleaning it up." She stated, pragmatically. "Did you enjoy your meal?"
He nodded, smiling shyly as she finished up in the kitchen. Following the man into the living room and placing herself beside him as he turned on the tv for background noise.
Byleth let him talk freely, and they had a good time together, with no regard to the action-packed movie going on the cable channel in front of them.
It was easy to have a brief moment of distraction.
At one point, Dimitri fell asleep in a peaceful nap. He woke a few hours later, his eyes thick with sleep and an unfamiliar weight settled against his chest. Looking down, he found his secretary, the woman he was secretly interested in, snuggled into his sweater.
Glancing around for a clock, he chuckled silently to himself. For the first time in weeks, he had managed to get five hours of sleep with no interruptions from his plagued mind. He would accredit her with being the reason he slept as well as he did.
It might not be the perfect situation, and it will be painful to deal with it, but for now, he would enjoy the moment of warmth and comfort he found with Byleth.