Sam ran his hands down the front of his suit before he got into his black Dodge Charger. With the insurance money that he got after his accident, he was able to afford this beauty. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like the attention it got him.
As he stuck the key in the ignition and started the car, he let out a deep sigh, trying to calm down his nerves. He knew he practically had the job in the bag, but that wasn't stopping him from sweating like crazy. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, groaning, then shook himself out.
"You got this…" he mumbled to himself with his eyes closed.
He then backed out of the drive and made his way to the Autman Furnishings building. Not only was it the tallest building in town, but it used the least electricity. Solar panels were affixed to the roof a few years ago, making local news. A good portion of the jobs available in New Haven were at the factory, where much of their furniture is built.
Going over the facts about the company, and how easily he'd gotten the chance at a job from the Autman family, he nearly turned into the nearest parking lot to hyperventilate.
Eventually, he made it to the building with no incident. There was a small parking lot off to the side, reserved for higher ups and visitors, while all the others parked in the parking garage across the street. For a while, Sam debated on where he should park, but decided to park in one of the visitor's spaces after he saw Michael standing by what he assumed was his SUV. He saw he was also in a sleek looking suit, and he was glad he'd chosen to wear one himself.
Then he saw the red Corvette, with a similarly dressed Lucifer leaning against it. He wore dark sunglasses and a black suit, though it looked more relaxed than he and Michael's. He swallowed, and quickly parked.
After exiting his car, he quickly came up to the Autmans, "Good morning." He greeted them, and he shook Michael's out stretched hand, "Good morning, Sam. Did you have any trouble finding the place?" he asked, jokingly, and they all shared a laugh. Thankfully it helped ease a lot of the tension Sam felt, and he was able to breathe a bit more easily.
He then turned and shook Lucifer's hand, "Good morning." He greeted him as well, and he began to pull away, but Lucifer kept a hold.
"Is that really your Charger over there?" he asked, and maybe it was just Sam over analyzing it, but he could have sworn Lucifer's voice had taken on a different tone.
Sam chuckled, a bit nervously, "Yea, it is." He answered.
"How'd you manage that?" Lucifer chuckled, and Sam noted that he still hadn't let go of his hand.
"Well, it's sort of a long story." Sam chuckled, this time uncomfortably. He then made a point to let go of Lucifer's hand, pulling away once again, and thankfully, Lucifer let him go.
Lucifer smirked, though Sam didn't see it. He'd turned to Michael, "So." He prompted, hoping to finally get inside.
"So," Michael repeated, then nodded his head towards the entrance, "Let's get you introduced to the building." And he led the way to the front doors.
Sam was reluctant to look at Lucifer, but he knew he was deliberately walking beside him with his hands in his pockets, relaxed. He was trying very hard not to offend Lucifer, because he knew it would likely result in him not having a job.
Once inside, Sam was glad to feel the heated interior. There were posh couches, chairs, and tables all along the walls before you got to the front desk, where a very perky looking young woman awaited.
"Good morning, Mr. Autman. I'm glad to see you coming in today." Her tone then went softer, leaning over her desk just in the slightest, "I know how torn you must feel by showing up even for just a few minutes, but it means a lot that you do." She gave a sympathetic look to both Michael and Lucifer. Sam narrowed his eyes slightly, not quite sure what she meant by that, but she disregarded it. He was still too nervous to allow his mind any space to think about anything else.
"Thank you, Becky. It is hard, but I have to remember my responsibility to this company." Michael told her, receiving a broad smile from her. Michael then turned his body, to allow her to see Sam, "Becky, I'd like you to meet Sam Winchester. He'll be joining Autman Furnishings today."
Sam stepped forward and grinned, "Hello." He greeted and stuck his hand over the front desk to shake hands, but was slightly taken aback when all he got in return was a very flabbergasted expression.
"Umm…" Becky finally managed to reciprocate Sam's actions, and quickly shook Sam's hand, "I'm Becky. You just call me here at the front desk if you need anything." She told Sam, breathing a bit shakily. When she took her hand back from Sam, she balled it up and held it against her chest, and she wouldn't stop grinning at him.
Sam was very likely to break out in a cold sweat, and he simply didn't respond, and only chuckled awkwardly, then looked away.
"Speaking of which…" Lucifer spoke up. He came up to the desk and laid his arms over it, folding them one over the other, "Becky, could you do me a huge favor and make me a cup of coffee?" First Becky looked like she were about to protest, but Lucifer continued on before she could, "I want you to throw out whatever has been sitting in the pot and pull out that bag of the Columbian stuff. Brew a whole pot for me, and bring me a cup with only two spoons of sugar." He gave a grin, tapped the desk twice, then got up and walked toward the elevators, Michael and Sam following behind, "Thanks sweetie, you're a doll." He called over his shoulder.
Becky stared after the group, her mouth agape, trying to form words to show her disdain, but nothing could come to mind. She hated it when Lucifer came in to visit. But she huffed and got out from behind the front desk to head to the break room and do as she was told.
Meanwhile, Sam slid into the elevator with Michael and Lucifer. As the doors closed he sighed heavily, though he hadn't meant to sigh so very audibly, but the next thing he knew, the two Autmans were chuckling.
"I know, she can be a bit…" Michael paused, looking for the right word.
"Creepy." Lucifer provided.
"No, no." Michael playfully slapped at Lucifer's arm chidingly, though it had no effect on his younger brother, "She can be a bit over whelming at times with her amount of affection." He reworded for Sam.
"You're telling me." Sam mumbled, looking to the opposite wall. The two chuckled again.
"Don't worry. Michael's got some hand sanitizer in his office." Lucifer told him with a grin, then gave Sam a pat on the shoulder.
Sam gave a grin in return, then leaned back against the elevator railing as they ascended. He looked to the button panel and noticed just how many floors there were, then he looked to Michael, "Are we going to your office?" he asked.
"Yep, second to last floor." Michael replied as he was looking down at his phone.
"And that's only because our dad has the top floor all to himself." Lucifer chuckled.
Sam nodded, then decided to bring up what Becky had mentioned on the first floor, his curiosity finally getting to him, "Hey Michael, not that I'm trying to pry, but if I step over a line, just let me know…" he paused, unsure if he should continue, and didn't want to speak about a touchy issue, "But what did Becky mean when she said you must be torn?"
Lucifer glanced to Michael, his older brother sighing, "Well, Sam…" he then looked Sam directly in the eye, his features set more sternly, "Our father is in a critical condition, and it's not getting any better. Doctors have estimated that he won't last long after Thanksgiving." "If he even gets that far." Lucifer added, frankly.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry…" Sam's eyes were wide, and he realized he had no place bringing something like that up.
Lucifer shook his head, "The man is so stubborn he didn't tell us that there was even anything wrong until he was bed ridden."
Sam sighed, "My dad passed away about two weeks ago." He then looked up to them, "That's why I needed this job so badly." He shrugged, "We didn't get any warning. He just up and disappeared one day. They found him on the side of the road a few days later."
"We're sorry to hear that, Sam." Lucifer spoke before Michael could, his tone very sympathetic, "If there's anything we can do to help you out," he made a sweeping gesture with his hand, "Even if it's just bringing over some food, you name it." Lucifer so graciously offered.
Sam grinned, "Thanks Lucifer." He then turned his eyes back to the button panel, not wanting to look anyone in the eyes anymore. Internally, he was deeply surprised to hear that their father was passing. Then he started to wonder… When their father was gone, did that mean Michael would take over the entire company? Sam's eyes slowly widened.
If Michael took over the company, and if he could keep up this blossoming friendship, the possibilities for him would literately be endless. Sam was becoming more and more excited, though he made sure that it didn't show. He was fairly certain if they saw him smiling like an idiot for no reason they'd stop this little tour short and show him the nearest exit.
Suddenly there was a soft ping, letting Sam know they'd reached their floor. Michael and Lucifer were first to leave through the opening doors, Sam close behind. He was surprised to see vibrantly colored abstract paintings on the walls, along with portraits of Lucifer, Gabriel, Castiel, Kali, and a few other people he didn't recognize. The room itself was likely a waiting room, with dark brown couches lining the walls and a table in the middle of the room with some national geographic magazines covering it. The wall opposite of the elevator was missing three feet of length on each side, creating a path to venture further into the offices. Before they continued on, Sam pointed to the paintings.
"Who did these? They're so realistic…" he marveled, then stepped up to the painting of Gabriel, looking at all the detail in his hair, eyes and facial features.
Michael and Lucifer both chuckled, though Michael spoke up, "I did."
Sam turned to him, surprised, "Really?"
Michael chuckled harder, "Yes, well it was some years ago, after I had attended an art class with an ex of mine. I did better than she had, and a few months later I painted these."
"These are amazing, Michael." He praised him, then turned back to them, now looking at the painting of Lucifer. "I couldn't ever do anything like this." He mumbled.
Lucifer chuckled, and Sam hadn't realized how close he was behind him, but he was close enough to whisper something in his ear that he was certain Michael couldn't hear. It shocked him so badly that he couldn't move, or jerk away, "You know, you've got the original right here."
Lucifer chuckled as he stepped away, following after Michael, who was already on his way into the next room.
Sam let his head drop, and for a moment, he simply stared at the ground. He then used his pointer finger and thumb to rub at his closed eyes. He assumed Lucifer wasn't just being playful or friendly, and he was being dead serious about his not so covert flirting.
Sam sighed, shook himself out one good time and went after the two Autmans who had gotten away. Once he was caught up, he saw that the hall had several doors on each side, with nameplates beside them. He saw a man standing beside the door at the very end of the hall, the one without a nameplate. He was smiling contentedly.
"I'm glad you came in today, Michael." He spoke as soon as they were close enough, though the man seemed to not even notice Lucifer or Sam, "There are many things that need to be discussed." He began, and went to make a move to enter the door, reaching for the handle, but Michael lifted a hand, stopping him.
"I understand, Uriel. But right now I'm giving a tour." He gestured a hand towards Sam, he gave a tight lipped smile as his only greeting. "So if you'd let me continue, I'll get back to you as soon as I can." He smiled wide to Uriel, then reached forward, opening his door for himself and gesturing for his brother and Sam to enter first. Lucifer made sure to give Uriel an apathetic smile as he passed.
The contempt was clear on his face, but he didn't say a word, and simply turned and entered the room just right of Michael's, Sam assumed was his office.
Once the door was closed behind them, Michael groaned, "That man is driving me insane." He mumbled.
"Fire him." Lucifer suggested, plopping down in one of the plush arm chairs seated in front of Michael's large mahogany desk. The entire wall behind Michael's desk was a window, and it gave a perfect view of central New Haven, a view Sam was sure he'd never seen before. He went to the window and wanted to know if he could see the family home from there.
He smirked, then pointed, "That's my house." And he turned back to the others to grin.
Lucifer chuckled then stood up to take a look. Sam was pointing towards the grocery store, but just a short ways away, down a road, you could see the front lawn and even part of the house. The rest was obscured by trees. "Wow." Lucifer mumbled. He then turned to Michael, "You can't see our house from here." He told him, in a whining tone.
Michael was looking down at his phone again, sending messages, "Because it's that way." He mumbled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the opposite direction. He then slipped his phone back in his pocket and went to the window with the others. "It's especially beautiful at night." He mumbled.
"I'd love an office like this." Sam mumbled, mostly to himself.
Michael then stepped away and took a seat at his desk, "So, Sam." He began, getting their attentions back on the reason they were there. "Did you have a position in mind that you wanted? Or are you willing to accept anything we give you?"
"Oh, anything right now is fine. I don't mind the lowest position, either." He told him, somewhat having not expected to be simply asked what he wanted to do.
Michael smirked, "Okay, good." He then turned to his desk and presses a button on the phone that sat on his desk, then Sam heard Becky over speaker phone, "Yes, Mr. Autman, what can I do for you?"
"Becky, can you get me Frank in the mail room on the line, please?" he spoke loud enough that the speaker phone could pick him up.
"Sure, thing. That'll be one moment." Then the line went silent, and it only took just a few moments before the sound of a crotchety old man answered.
"Yea, what do you want?"
"Frank, I'll be coming down in a moment with a new sorter for you." Michael spoke, then grinned in Sam's direction.
"Great! Just what I need today. I have to train another jackass while straightening out the 7th floor mix up. At least tell me this, Mr. Aut-Man," he pronounced their name segmentedly, "Does this guy have a high school diploma? Does he at least have half a brain? Because I can't take anymore drop-out, Good Enough Degree bullshit…"
Michael waited, just for a moment, then spoke, "Sam Winchester is currently in school for Law, and thanks to his grades, it's a free ride." Sam wasn't sure if he'd already told him he had a free ride, or if Michael assumed it, or if he just didn't know and felt he needed to lie to Frank.
"Alright, well at least he can work with me when I suffer a work induced heart attack and he can help me sue the pants off this company." The older man groaned.
"I'm also giving you a bonus." Michael stated simply.
"Oh, well why didn't you say so! You and the little tyke come on down and I'll have hot tea and snicker doodles ready." Frank oozed sarcasm, and Lucifer was chuckling to himself, stilling looking out the window. For a moment, Sam wasn't so sure he'd like working with the man.
"I'll hold you to it!" Michael replied, then hung up. He grinned to Sam, "Are you ready to meet Frank?"
Sam cleared his throat, then adjusted his shoulders, "I don't want the tea and snicker doodles to get cold." He mumbled.
Michael and Lucifer both chuckled.
So, just to let you know, at some point, I'm still not certain when, I will be posting a new story which is actually just a more in depth look at Sam and Lucifer's relationship. It's so that everyone who doesn't care for that storyline don't have to wade through it to get to the main Destiel plot. It'll basically be all the moments that happen behind closed doors. Now, don't worry, there will never be an instance where you'll need to read the side story to understand future events of the main story. Moments that are important to further the main story plot will be included in the main story.(Obviously.) The story will be following along with the main story, so it never goes ahead of Inheritance. Chapters will sometimes be as short as 1k words, I can already tell.
So if you want to keep up with what goes on between Sam and Lucifer, this is for you!
I'm still split between two different names for the story, but I'll be posting a A/N like this one when it happens.
Thanks for reading!