T: so I went to sleep on the couch in your office and you're nowhere to be seen...?
I: I know and I have proofs, Tim.
T: and you didn't even wake me up?
T: where are you right now?
I: relax, I hadn't left you alone last night.
I: I kept working. And I'm still here.
T: I swear Irina, the whole of your department is giving me weird looks.
T: especially Mathias.
I: calm down. They're our friends.
T: yeah but I can sense what they are thinking. And I'm feeling really awkward right now.
T: where are you!?!?
I: easy there, princess, I had just gone to the cafeteria to see if there was anything we could have for breakfast.
T: oh...
I: don't panic, I'm coming. I'll handle the department too. No one is going to make you feel awkward, okay?
T: shit, Mathias is coming over.
I: God, Timmy, I can't keep texting while bringing over a breakfast tray as well. Sit tight. And don't worry about Mathias. He's probably just going to ask you some random questions.
T: including what am I doing at the couch in his boss' office...?
I: holy shit... You do have a way of twisting things.
I: better still, just don't say a word to him. I'll handle it. Now if you send me any text I won't answer because I don't want to drop the tray.
***
Irina looked up as the glass door to her office opened and Tim stepped in. Seeing him, a smile spread on her features and all the exhaustion from her face vanished, "what a pleasant surprise, princess."
He walked up straight to her chair, bending a little to kiss her cheek, "why is my lovely angel working so much and so late?"
"Because Aunt Lena hasn't yet returned from Metropolis so I'm responsible for all her departments in her absence," she replied, "but Tim, you shouldn't have come here. You must be exhausted from your own work and should go get some sleep."
"No need," he sat down on the chair across from her working desk, "there's enough coffee in my system to keep me going for a couple more hours. Now tell me, what can I help you with?"
She smiled leaning back in her seat a little as she observed the genuinely caring look in his eyes. He was a lot more considerate than anyone she had known before and all his concern made him even more precious to her.
A reddish tint glazed his cheeks as he spoke up, "is this what people call the lover's gaze? Because right now I feel extremely tickly in my stomach."
"That tickly feeling is what people call having butterflies in your stomach," her remark was punctuated by a short laugh. Then she leaned towards him, taking his face in her hands, "and this is what I call fucking irresistible and so damn cute that it must be a crime."
His skin turned a shade more scarlet but a smile danced on his lips, "you love to make me blush, don't you?"
"Guilty as charged, adorable sir."
His hands rested on hers as he gently brought them down, entwining their fingers together, "now sweetheart, if you keep on doing that then I'm afraid my presence is only distracting you from your job. And I will have to leave because I came with the intention to help you, and certainly not to make you forget about work altogether."
"But that's the problem, isn't it? When you're around, I can hardly focus on anything else."
"Then I'll have to go," his voice had a slightly teasing edge to it which she noticed immediately.
"Oh dear, no. Stay please, I entreat you," she exclaimed dramatically as both dissolved into laughter right afterwards.
He spoke up when the laughter died down, "so what are you working on right now?"
"I'm reviewing a few projects that we have to launch. The reports are in and all the spreadsheets are done but those have to be checked. And an overall reviewing of the projects is left."
"Let's divide it," he suggested, "you give me half the files and we'll work through this together." She tried to protest against it but he squeezed her hand a little, "no objections please."
Upon his insistence, she have him a few files, "this is a project we've been working on with Wayne Tech's collaboration so you would probably know about it."
He read the details and nodded, "yeah I remember this one."
"So all we have to do right now is to review the schedule and other dates, check the list of clients, shipment details etc."
A few hours passed with them discussing and reviewing the files together. Irina was correcting a few mistakes in the spreadsheet displayed on her laptop when she heard a short thud like sound. She looked up to see that Tim's head had slumped over the desk.
He had fallen asleep and a small smile flickered on her face to see his pristine expression. She pushed back her chair and stood up, walking over to him.
"Tim," she gently clasped his shoulder and he sat up rather alarmed, his eyes heavy with sleep.
"I... Uh... Sorry."
"Come on, get up," she pulled him up to his feet and led him to the couch olaced in a corner of her vast office, "I know you're really tired so you must go to sleep."
He tried to protest but she silenced him and made him lay down, covering him up with her shawl just like a blanket.
Her hand rested on his forehead gently closing his eyelids as she kissed him on the cheek, "sweet dreams, princess. And thanks a lot for the help."
She was quite exhausted herself but she downed a glass of water in order to make her senses function then resumed working on her laptop.
Every now and then her eyes would flicker towards Tim who was sound asleep on the couch.
When all the spreadsheets were done, she shut down her laptop and gathered all the files. The clock was striking four and there were just a few hours left until normal work hours would start.
Setting an alarm on her phone for at least half an hour before normal work hours, she walked over to the couch, lifting the shawl a little as she cuddled along with Tim. And even though he was asleep, his arm automatically draped around her, pulling her close.
She adjusted the shawl over them both again and closed her eyes, nestling her head against him. Soon afterwards, the drowsiness overcame her and just like him she too went to sleep.
***
The department had started to fill with people and their noise woke Tim up from his deep slumber. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around in bewilderment. He was still in Irina's office, at her couch to be precise with her shawl draped over her. But the surprising fact was that she was herself nowhere to be seen.
He fumbled in the pocket of his jacket for his phone and switched it open, almost jumping in shock when he noticed the time. Work hours had just started which meant he had spent the whole night there. But the more alarming aspect was that LCorp wouldn't be empty anymore, instead it would be full of a hundred eyes judging him if he were to dare step out at that moment.
And knowing the flair Gothamites had for scandalizing almost anything out of the blue, he felt a bit queasy thinking about the possible consequences.
Worried as to where Irina could be, he sent a text to her: so I went to sleep on the couch in your office and you're nowhere to be seen...?
Shortly afterwards her reply came: I know and I have proofs Tim.
Below she had attached a gif of him sleeping peacefully on the couch.
And you didn't even wake me up? Where are you right now?
He lifted his head from the couch, peeking out through the glass door and almost fell back immediately in order to hide himself from view. Irina's whole department had arrived and were seated in their respective cubicles, and he could have sworn that Dinah had seen him.
The screen lit up as another text from Irina showed up: relax, I hadn't left you alone last night. I kept working. And I'm still here.
I swear Irina, the whole of your department is giving me weird looks. Especially Mathias.
Calm down. They're our friends.
Yeah but I can sense what they are thinking. And I'm feeling really awkward right now. Where are you!?!?
His phone buzzed again as she replied: easy there, princess, I had just gone to the cafeteria to see if there was anything we could have for breakfast.
Oh... He estimated that it would take her about five minutes to come back from the cafeteria and if Dinah had really seen him at that moment, then those five minutes could be the most awkward minutes of his whole life.
For starters, he wasn't supposed to be at LCorp since he didn't work there. But the most awkward fact was that his current condition would easily imply that he had spent the night in Irina Luthor's office, which could no doubt seem a little disturbing to his former colleagues. It could hint at a lot of slightly uncomfortable and highly awkward possibilities which he knew very well that any human mind would easily venture on thinking about.
Especially the two of his closest former colleagues and now friends who still worked under Irina; Mathias and Dinah.
Don't panic, I'm coming. I'll handle the department too. No one is going to make you feel awkward, okay? There was a slight consolation in her reply but that would only be applicable if she came before any of them did.
He was getting slightly fidgety knowing that Mathias would come over any minute now so he cautiously peeked up again and true enough recognized his friend Mathias walking in his direction.
"Shit, shit, shit," he mumbled as his fingers quickly flew over the screen: shit, Mathias is coming over.
God, Timmy, I can't keep texting while bringing over a breakfast tray as well. Sit tight. And don't worry about Mathias. He's probably just going to ask you some random questions.
Tim's cheeks were burning red since he was slowly but steadily getting a lot flustered, imagining full well how his friend was going to react: including what am I doing at the couch in his boss' office...?
Her reply was immediate: holy shit... You do have a way of twisting things. Better still, just don't say a word to him. I'll handle it. Now if you send me any text I won't answer because I don't want to drop the tray.
Knowing that there was no other option left except to face Mathias, he braced himself for the conversation that was about to take place. A gentle knock sounded on the glass door and shortly afterwards he had stepped in, looking at Tim with a wide smile on his face.
"Tim, buddy, it's so great to meet you," he spread his arms out as if to hug him so Tim didn't refuse, standing up as he returned the gesture.
His hazel eyes were dancing an amusement, an expression that highly increased Tim's discomfort. "So... What's up?"
His smile widened, "nothing much. Though I must say I wasn't expecting to see you here."
The red shade on his cheeks was rather noticeable, "I... Um..."
"It's okay, man, I hadn't meant to make you uncomfortable. Not at all," but those eyes were still dancing in amusement and Tim knew he wasn't going to let go that easily. "But why do you look so tired? It seems as if you haven't slept since a long time."
He shrugged, "I've just been busy, that's all. Nothing I'm not accustomed to."
"It's good to take a rest every once in a while," Mathias remarked, a meaningful smile dancing on his face, "or else people find themselves waking up in other's offices."
The blush on his face deepened and he wriggled out of his grip, "Mathias..."
"Ah come on, Tim, you always get flustered so easily. I was just kidding, mate," he patted his back in the much familiar playful gesture.
"I know..."
He was about to say something when the door opened and Irina entered, holding a breakfast tray in her hands. And his lips that had just parted to speak, shut immediately and rather similar to Tim, a slight tint of pink crept up on his face. "Good morning, Ma'am."
Tim knew that Irina had a rather intimidating effect on the members in her department as he too had suffered from it not long ago, a proof of which was clearly visible in how all the confidence and teasing attitude had evaporated from Mathias immediately upon seeing her.
"Good morning," she replied with a bright smile, "would you like to join us for breakfast, Mister Lawrence?"
"No... Thank you very much," he replied, stepping back towards the door, "I just... I came to see Tim, that's all."
"Great," she remarked, the smile hadn't faltered from her face yet and Tim was strongly reminded of the day after the New Year's party when he had showed up to work in a turtleneck, as his experience dealing with Irina's sweet but threatening demeanor had been rather similar to his friend's now. "I hope you've finished organizing the stat sheets I had assigned to you yesterday."
"Of course, Ma'am," he replied.
"Excellent. I expect you to show me all the completed work after an hour. In the meanwhile I want you to recheck it yourself because the less mistakes I point out, the better it will be for you."
"Absolutely," Mathias waited for her to add something but when she said nothing, he spoke, "uh... May I leave now?"
"Sure. Have a great day, Mister Lawrence."
"You too, Ma'am. Bye, Tim," getting the permission he quickly opened the door and bolted through it.
She had placed the tray on the table in front of the couch and sat down beside Tim, giving him a cup of coffee, "come on, breakfast will get cold."
He took the cup from her and watched as she filled his plate with a sandwich and some salad.
"There's not much to choose from right now because Gladys had just arrived and she prepares most of the items by lunch break," she resumed, "so I could only get these sandwiches and salad."
"It's good," he remarked, taking a deep sip from his cup as well.
Irina had noticed that he was still a bit too silent so she asked, "is there any problem?"
"No..."
"Ever since Mathias left, I thought you would be relieved. But instead you look as if some ghost spooked you out of your wits."
"It's not like that," a small smile crept on his face, "I was just thinking."
She raised an eyebrow skeptically, "and what exactly were you thinking, if I may ask?"
"I had almost forgotten how intimidating you used to be before we started dating," he remarked and it sent a smile up on her face as well.
"Oh come on, Tim, I'm not intimidating."
"Of course you aren't that way with me anymore, but you do have an ability to scare off your department really well. When I used to work here, it was the same for me as well."
She laughed, "but it worked, didn't it? You didn't want any of my department people to pester you with annoying questions and I'm sure after how Mathias went back, that's not going to happen anytime soon."
"You scared him off, Irina."
She shook her head, still laughing, "what? I scared him off? Nonsense. All I did was smile politely and ask him to focus on his work rather than pestering my lovely boyfriend."
"Though it is a talent," he resumed, smiling at her, "how you manage to look absolutely gorgeous while threatening people."
"Nonsense," she shrugged off his remark, "oh and by the way aren't you supposed to show up at Wayne Tech? As far as I know, you hadn't taken an off from today."
His smile evaporated immediately as a slight frown creased his features, "damn it... I forgot."
"Now hurry up, princess, finish your breakfast and go to your office. Because I surely don't want you to compromise your jobs for me."
"And what if I want to stay here instead...?"
"Then I'll kick you out of my office and make you sit with the department so that you can face all their questions on your own," a teasing smile danced on her face as she said that.
"Hey..."
She pinched his nose affectionately before gently kissing his cheek and his face blushed a shade more red upon realizing that the office had glass doors and there was a possibility for people to peek inside as well, "now if you don't want to get more flustered, you will go to your office. Oh and don't forget to change out of these clothes before you do."
He was about to say something but she smiled sweetly, interrupting him in her characteristic slightly intimidating manner.
"No objections please," she repeated what he had said to her last night and her smile widened at his adorable expression.
Knowing that the easier way out would be to leave for his own workplace instead, he stood up after he had finished breakfast, "goodbye then, sweetheart."
"See you soon, love," she replied, still smiling beautifully at him.
But the second he stepped out of her office, he couldn't shake off the feeling of the whole department's eyes on him and the slight snippets of conversation that were being exchanged among the members fell upon his ears as he walked past them.
Feeling extremely uncomfortable, he made his way down to the parking lot as soon as he could, stopping only when he had gotten seated in his car and safely locked the doors.
After a few minutes of bringing his racing heartbeat back to normal, he started the engine and drove off into the direction of Wayne Manor. That had surely been the most awkward experience of his life and he knew that even though Mathias had temporarily let him go because of Irina, he would not hear the end of it whenever he met the hazel eyed boy again.
***