Where We Should Be

Are you complete or is something missing?

Can's entire first week had gone much the same, small run-ins with Tin, but for the most part he followed Tul around. He'd already told Ley multiple times that he felt more like he was turning into Tul's bitch than he was his assistant. Once they'd gotten his paperwork sorted, the sort of jobs he was given were menial. He was proud to say he knew that word now! He picked up laundry from the cleaners, left to get him his favorite coffee - which he'd dropped and had to run back and get again - picked up his lunch, picked up his son from school at the end of the day and then he went home. Phu, his son, seemed like a nice little boy, spoiled absolutely rotten but Can could see he could be nice given the right guidance. Something told him Tul wasn't the right guidance.

Week two he actually got to help him around the office instead, though he was still doomed to the same type of work. Can was now convinced he had an assistant because he was lazier than he wanted to seem, he wanted to seem like he could do it all, yet there was Can in the background doing all of the things he didn't want to do. He had time, half the time he was socializing instead of actually working, but as he'd overheard him say, the types of things he had Can do were below him . If he was honest it was grating on his nerves, but he needed the job more than he needed the dignity. It was a sad reality that college also didn't prepare him for - adulthood sucked. On the last day of his work week, Tul had sent him to pick up his laundry again, and this time asked him to just drop it off at the house. After that he was free to go home, and frankly, Can couldn't wait. The weekend meant he got to go to the bar with Ae, Pond, Techno and Type, it also meant he could kick a ball around with Ae when he wasn't busy with his new boyfriend.

Can draped the laundry bag over his shoulder, his other hand already loosening his tie as he made his way through the Medthanan mansion. His brown eyes stared up at the door to Tul's bedroom, where he had a hook hanging already for Can to leave the bag. He hung it, quickly turning with a wide smile because that meant his day was done. Except, as he turned, he found himself face to face with Tul's brother, and he immediately backed himself against the door. "Oh holy hell," he breathed, his hand clutching his chest as he stared up at his face. He hadn't expected to see him, not until he came back the next week. Half of him had hoped that he wouldn't even be home. It wasn't that he had a problem with Tin, it was that he knew better than to stare at someone related to his boss. And it was really damn hard not to stare at him.

"Is my brother done bossing you around for the day, or are you stuck with him still?" It took a lot of willpower to keep the smile off his face as he pressed his back against the door. At least someone else noticed that he was being treated like a retriever a bit more than he was being treated like an assistant. Since Tul was his boss, he was definitely ready to tell Tin that it was fine, he wasn't being paid to just stand around so getting things for him wasn't a big deal. All words, all sense left his head as Tin pressed one of his hands just beside his head against the door, his body far closer than Can had anticipated. The biggest problem was, despite knowing his sexuality, he didn't exactly have a lot of experience. He'd kissed a few guys, had come close to sleeping with one but it just never worked out. He got nervous, something didn't feel right, and he ran away like a coward. More often than not, like he'd said, he lost interest when another person showed interest in him. Even he couldn't explain why that was, so he'd started giving up on relationships before most of them even started. On top of it, anytime someone attractive got close, it felt as though his brain had completely short circuited. Tin was hot, so damn hot that he was lucky he hadn't drooled down his front. Can swallowed thickly, nervously as he glanced to the side, glad he still had one escape route. Tin had effectively closed off the other one with his arm.

"Oh... I... he... yeah," he stuttered out, his head shaking quickly. Get a grip. "I'm actually done for the day, I was just... going home." The words came out slowly as he tried to keep himself from stumbling over them, the nervous flutter in his chest making things beyond difficult. From over Tin's shoulder, a woman approached, and Can met with her curious gaze as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was small, her hair dark, slicked back and more than half way down her back. Clearly wealthy, beautiful in almost an otherworldly sort of way. Her eyes were narrowed, flickering between Can and the back of Tin's head. It looked as though Tin had been about to say something when he followed Can's gaze over his shoulder. Just like that, his body was moving back, his hand dropping to his side.

"Orn," Tin spoke softly, his gaze meeting with Can's once more before he moved to her side. "Orn, this is Cantaloupe, my brother's new assistant, Cantaloupe, this is Orn, my... fiance." Fiance . The word stupidly hit harder than the fact that his full nickname had been used twice in one sentence. Of course he had a fiance, of course she was beautiful, he'd known all along that there wasn't a chance. He was his boss's brother after all, but he was also handsome, rich. He probably didn't even like guys. Can pushed his usual wide smile over his face, offering her a deep wei before he nodded at Tin.

"Nice to meet you, miss. I should be going, Mister Tul just wanted his laundry dropped off. Tin I... Mister Tin... see you soon," He offered, unsure where he had even planned to go with his sentence after Tin's name had fallen from his lips. He received the smallest hello in response from Tin's fiance, her attention seemed to be fully on Tin. He couldn't blame her, his attention would be on him too if he were his fiance. A thing he had to stop himself from thinking about. "Also, feel free to call me Can," he finally allowed himself to say, though his eyes lingered on Tin as the words fell between the three of them. He was sure the ghost of a grin had passed over Tin's lips.

==

It was apparent after a month of working for Tul that he typically fired people just weeks after hiring them - if not before then. According to one of the small conversations he'd had with Tin, he was the one he'd kept on the longest. Talks with Tin had become a bit more frequent, almost always interrupted by the arrival of Orn. It was clear she had a jealous streak, and for some reason Can brought it out of her. She seemed to regard him as though he was some sort of insect that was below her notice, and yet at the same time, she seemed to see him as some sort of threat. Though he was taller than her, she made the effort of tilting her head back just enough so that she could look down her nose at him, all the while she'd step deliberately between himself and Tin though they weren't ever all that close to one another. If Tin noticed, he never said anything, but Can was just glad he seemed to be on good terms with and befriending Tin. Whether or not he should , he'd found he liked his company, liked talking to him and just generally enjoyed being near him.

After a month, he could say with one-hundred percent certainty that he liked Tin far more than he liked Tul. He also knew that Tin and Tul didn't get along, though Tul put on airs in front of everyone, and according to Tin he did that even when it was just the two of them. " Some people get so stuck playing a part, they continue to play it on their own little stage in their mind. They forget everyone else can see through it, and they refuse to step off. My brother has been on that stage since I was born." Tin had explained once. Can had meant to question what he meant, but as per usual, Orn appeared at his side. The way she hung off his arm was irritating, and Can hated to admit it, but he had a crush on his employer's brother. A huge fucking crush.

It didn't matter anyway, even if Tin didn't have a fiance there was no saying he'd be interested even if Can could act on it. There was no telling if he even liked guys, let alone poor ones that still lived with their mom. But he'd be damned if he could tell his heart that. The way it reacted to Tin's presence wasn't like anything he'd ever experienced, it was out of his control and he hated himself for it.