Work Text:
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Jun had started his internship at the Chen's Car Dealership on Monday. Today was Thursday and Jun was really considering just giving up and not showing up the next day. The general spirit of the building was abysmal and he had little hope that it would improve. The reason for the tension (and, in his particular case, downright fear) was the horrible mood their CEO, the renowned and respected Phayak Chatdecha Chen, had been sporting during the whole week.
Before applying to intern there, Jun had done a diligent research about the place, as he wasn't interested in entering a toxic work environment. The general consensus, however, was good: Khun Phayak seemed to be a fair boss as he never found any serious complaints about him or the company. He found a couple of former employees who mentioned Phayak’s sour moods but it didn't seem to be a deal breaker: they all mentioned different reasons for leaving, like new and better job opportunities elsewhere.
It was just his fourth day on the job but he was willing to believe the Chens were paying people off to avoid a bad reputation. Just earlier that day, he had been in a meeting with one of the head of operations, the one responsible for checking the cars when they arrived at the airport. Jun was there just to take notes when he, honest-to-God-cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die, heard the boss growl when the man reported an error he should have noticed before. And he was sure he didn't imagine the sound because the manager he was working under looked tense for a second before sighing, sounding resigned.
To be fair, things had started out okay. The manager he was working with, P’Kim, was a kind and cheerful woman, who liked to show pictures of her baby, a three year old girl, and of her outings with her boyfriend. She was proud to tell him that she was the CEO’s former personal assistant but had been promoted to General Manager of the showroom after coming back from her maternity leave. She gave Jun a tour of the place, introduced him to the other employees and explained his duties. Kim told him not to worry about their boss: as he had a personal assistant who took care of everything he needed, Jun wouldn't have to deal with him directly. In retrospect, it had sounded a little ominous, but Jun thought she was just being dramatic.
On Tuesday, he noticed Khun Phayak arriving a couple of hours late. Jun had been told that he was one of the first ones at the building everyday, as he was very devoted to work, the second most important thing in his life, according to Kim. She had told him that on the day before and had winked and smiled, as if sharing an inner joke that flew straight over Jun’s head. He smiled and nodded, as if understanding what she meant, though.
As the day passed, he could almost feel the tension spreading from the CEO's office. Everyone seemed to notice it, it was like a heavy cloud rolling down over the rest of the building, making them all a little unsettled.
It got worse on the next day. Khun Phayak arrived on time, but with an even worse mood. Even his usually unflappable personal assistant, Khun Aon, seemed to be giving him a wide berth, keeping himself busy but away from the CEO's office, where he usually worked. Jun heard him talking to Kim about someone (he spoke in such a low voice he couldn't hear the name clearly) arriving on Friday and saw the manager purse her lips and sigh, before stating they all could survive a couple more days. Jun saw the look the other employees all shared and they all seemed to doubt her for a second.
Now it was Thursday and Jun was thanking the gods for surviving the day. Earlier, in the meeting where he could have sworn he heard a growl coming from their CEO, Khun Phayak looked straight at him after chewing down the Head of Operations for his mistake and sending the man away almost in tears. Jun feared for his life, certain he was going to be Khun Phayak’s next meal, but as he questioned who he was, P’Kim was quick to answer Jun was her new intern and had started on Monday. Khun Phayak seemed a bit surprised and reminded P’Kim, in a more controlled voice, that he was supposed to be informed of every new employee. When she answered that she was just waiting for certain circumstances to change (and gave a pointed look at the chair the man Khun Phayak had reduced to tiger meal just a couple of minutes before had occupied), he looked disconcerted for a second. Then he gave another growl (honestly, there was no other word for it; Jun was internally freaking out), a lower one this time, and offered Jun a dry ‘welcome to Chen’s Dealership’. He got up from the table and threw P’Kim an almost bashful look, like he was a little ashamed of his behavior, but it was so quick Jun wasn’t sure if he had imagined it. But he definitely didn’t imagine how his ears turned red when P’Kim told him it was almost Friday. Or how the lines of his mouth seemed to relax a bit at the thought.
As the end of his shift approached and Jun organized his desk and truly considered telling P’Kim he was quitting (he was seriously scared of Khun Phayak’s bad moods, specially because he was getting worse and worse), he saw the man walking closer and discreetly tried to shrink behind his monitor, even placing his backpack on the floor slowly, like a prey trying to not catch a predator’s attention. Thankfully the man went straight to Khun Aon’s desk and asked about his appointments for the next day, Friday. The personal assistant told him he had a clear schedule for the afternoon and for Saturday. Jun was positive he saw an actual, satisfied smile on the tiger’s face. A small one, but it was real. Four days in the job and it was the first time he saw the boss looking less like he was going to pounce and tear someone to pieces and more like just a regular man. Huh. Who would guess that CEOs also were eager for weekends?
Khun Aon added that the plane was expected to land at 6pm and asked if he should make reservations for dinner. Khun Phayak declined with a hand gesture, but asked for food to be delivered at his house before going back to his office. The assistant immediately called a restaurant and placed an order. Jun had heard of the place, it was a high end restaurant, famous for their very select patrons and a months long waiting list for reservations, but it was no surprise that the Chen’s name could speed up things. After placing the order, Khun Aon texted someone, probably arranging the pick up of the food, as Jun doubted such a bougie restaurant offered a delivery service.
He realized Khun Phayak never told Aon from what restaurant to order nor what food, but being his personal assistant, he probably had the boss’s favorites memorized. But what he was actually curious about was the sudden shift in the boss’s mood, as if the perspective of a free afternoon on a Friday plus a nice dinner was everything he needed to lift his spirits. Rich people were so weird.
Jun was brought back from his conjectures by P’Kim leaning against his desk.
“Nong Jun, I know things haven’t been ideal this week and I couldn’t help but notice you seem a little uncomfortable in Khun Phayak’s presence. I just want to say that it’s understandable, he can be a little intimidating, especially for those who are not used to him. Now, I know it’s hard not to judge a book by its cover, but I promise you things will start to look better after tomorrow.”
“Why, what’s happening tomorrow?”
“Khun Tacha finally comes back from his trip”, answers Aon, with a sigh, while getting up and turning the computer he was using off.
“And who is this?”
All the employees around turned to look at him, as if they couldn't believe he didn't know. P’Kim, particularly, looked completely shocked.
“I thought you had researched the company, you said you did!”
“I did! But I don’t remember this name!”
“It’s okay, Kim. The boy doesn’t need to know the particulars of Khun Phayak’s life. This just means he’s not a gossip like you…”
“It’s called ‘being well informed’, Uncle”, she shot back at the janitor, who was arriving for his shift. The night guards walked closer with the older man. “Khun Tacha Chen is his husband. He’s been away this week on a trip and he’s coming back tomorrow night”, she informs him.
Jun thought about it for a moment, while everybody started to turn their work stations off and grab their stuff to leave. He suddenly understood what had been going on.
“So… he was acting like an angry tiger this whole week because his husband was away?”
All his colleagues shared a smile and some even laughed a little. P’Kim just nodded at him while putting her purse on her shoulder. Khun Phayak came out of his office at that moment, his commanding presence attracting the attention of his employees. He told them ‘good night’ and left, Aon holding the car door open for him, before climbing in to drive him home.
“See you tomorrow, Nong Jun? I promise it’s going to be better!”
She had a sweet, motherly expression on her face and Jun decided to trust her on her word.
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As lunch time approached, Jun had to admit P’Kim was right. Granted, Khun Phayak stayed in his office the whole morning, but the fact that Aon was working there with him was a good enough proof of concept. The heavy cloud of tension that started to cover the building on Tuesday seemed to be lifted now, much to Jun’s relief.
At 12pm, a group of delivery boys from various restaurants nearby started to arrive, bringing a large variety of food. To everyone’s surprise, P’Kim directed them to the lunch room and explained, with a smile, that lunch was Khun Tacha’s treat that day (Jun hadn’t met the guy yet but he was already a fan. Come on, free food? Khun Tacha was an angel in his eyes!).
Around an hour and half later, Jun saw a young man walking in, holding a bag that seemed to contain food as well. He had dark brown hair with bangs covering his forehead, brown eyes and a sweet expression. He wasn’t dressed in a suit, like the male customers that usually came in the dealership, but in a light blue and soft looking polo shirt, tan pants and black shoes. He gave a wai and a smile to the receptionist and she reciprocated immediately, lighting up as soon as she saw him. She seemed to listen attentively to what he was asking and picked up the phone, while the man sat in the VIP area. Jun frowned. Just the day before, Khun Aon had said Khun Phayak’s schedule was free and P’Kim had told him he was the only one who handled VIP clients. And they never came without appointments.
Seconds later, Jun saw Khun Phayak leaving his office. He looked deeply annoyed, but was quick to mask off his expression as he climbed down the stairs. From his desk, Jun couldn't see how the conversation was going, but he felt a little sorry for the young man. He seemed polite and kind and now Khun Phayak was probably chewing him down for showing up without an appointment (Jun had heard stories).
But to his ultimate surprise, he saw Khun Phayak coming up again, one hand on the back of the young man, and carrying the take out bag. He had the sweetest look in his eyes and not long after they entered the boss’s office, Khun Aon came out. Confused, he looked at P’Kim for an explanation.
“That is Khun Tacha. It seems he decided to surprise Khun Phayak and arrived earlier”, she said, exchanging a quick look and a smile with Aon, like they were thinking the same thing.
Jun soon noticed that the other employees were all trying to hide smiles and two seemed to be placing bets on… how long would it take Khun Phayak and Khun Tacha to leave the showroom? He didn't get the opportunity to ask what all the giggles were about before P’Kim started telling everyone to go back to work.
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“Hia… I brought you lunch… You should eat before it gets cold…”
Yi smiled but didn't stop kissing Diao’s neck and jaw before taking his mouth again. He was hungry for something else entirely. Three days without his husband seemed more than he could take and now that he was in his arms again, Yi wanted to devour him. And despite his words, the sweet moans and sighs escaping Diao's mouth showed he had missed Yi too.
Before he got carried away though, Yi was pushed on the couch until their positions were reversed and he was the one with his back against the arm rest. A flash of being in a very similar position crossed his mind: years ago, before their wedding, when he was recovering from the car accident caused by Tem’s sabotage, Diao had pushed him on their living room couch, climbed on his lap and told him he was going to take care of him (he got a little miffed about not being able to be on the actual top while his arm healed, but if he was being honest with himself, he had to admit that seeing Diao riding him until he came then being blown until he climaxed in his then fiance's mouth had been so incredibly hot).
But Diao held him back when he leaned in to kiss him, showing the strength of his smaller body. Yi should be used to it already, but it was always a surprise. Diao was always so sweet and gentle that he had trouble reconciling that image with the fierce taekwondo champion.
Admitting defeat, he raised both hands and smiled when Diao let go of him and started to plate the dishes he had bought for their lunch.
“Now, I know you haven’t been eating nor sleeping well. So you’re going to eat everything. And don’t complain, okay?” Diao chastised, pointing a finger at him. Yi smiled more before mock-saluting and accepting the plate his husband passed him.
They ate in comfortable silence, Yi asking for details of Diao’s competition, how were his competitors and assuring him he always had faith in his victory. He never failed to assure Diao, to shower him in compliments, and not only because he found adorable when his husband got shy and red-faced but also because it was the simple truth: Diao was a very talented martial artist. He had worked hard for it ever since his teenage years, alone in the English boarding school his father had sent him to. When he found out Diao wanted to give up taekwondo, during their engagement, Yi insisted he shouldn’t, even recruiting the help of his father and his father’s husband to convince him.
“Oh, Pa and Uncle will probably take longer to come back”, Diao mentioned, offering Yi more food. He just nodded, accepting the addition on his plate. Now that Diao was back, his appetite had returned as well.
“Did something happen?”
“No, but they didn’t want me to travel back alone, so I felt bad for cutting the trip short. I insisted they should extend theirs for a couple of days and, when I finally convinced them, I made them a new itinerary”, he answered, finishing his lunch and starting to gather the empty containers to throw out.
Yi smile again. Even after everything he went through, Diao remained such a sweet and generous person that it was impossible not to love him. He should know, since at only fourteen, he vowed to take care and love Diao forever. It took a long time for them to find the right way to each other’s hearts, but they did. And Yi couldn’t be happier.
He finished eating and helped Diao to collect the wrappers. When the office was clean again, Yi didn’t waste time texting Aon and asking him to bring the car. And to not forget to take Diao’s bags from the other car (his thoughtful husband would definitely empty them and leave the dirty clothes in the laundry room, if not putting them in the washing machine himself; he was always willing to do chores like that, no matter how many times Yi insisted they had staff hired to specifically do the house work).
They left the office and following his husband’s initiative, Yi quickly waved to his employees. He couldn’t help to notice the looks and smirks some of them were too slow to hide and the confused then enlightened expression of Kim’s intern. He knew that meant they were placing bets on his behavior again. It happened every time Diao had a competition or an event somewhere far enough he had to stay in hotels and Yi couldn’t go with him. He could say something, but what would be the point? They all knew how his mood soured when Diao was away and sweetened when he was around. It would be foolish to chastise them over it. Especially because it was true.
He threw an annoyed look at Kim, who only smiled in return, and bid them all a ‘goodbye’.
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On Monday, Jun was shocked to find that the atmosphere in the showroom was completely different, as P’Kim had said. Khun Phayak had a few VIP clients and this time, as he was helping the receptionist, he could see how he was with them and the difference was astonishing: the man was all charming smiles and light voice! Nothing like the prowling angry tiger in search of prey he was being last week.
As Jun stole glances at him, trying to catch a glimpse of the Phayak he met last week, dangerous and fearsome, he realized he couldn’t. The man that was talking to clients today had a commanding presence, just like last week, but it was a softer thing, not imposing, but inspiring.
At the end of the workday, as everyone left, P’Kim came to check on him again.
“You were right, P’Kim. He’s like a different person today. Not scary at all!”
“See? I told you. He’s not a bad person to work for. You just have to give him a chance!”
“And pray that Khun Tacha is around?” he joked, with a smile, while turning off his workstation and grabbing his backpack.
P’Kim laughed a bit, and nodded.
“Yeah, Nong Jun, that helps. That certainly helps.”
THE END